Weekly Column: Mayor Billy Sheerin
Date published: 28 February 2020
Mayor Sheerin visited Tetrosyl for the launch of the Tetrosyl sponsored car which will be driven by Adam Morgan and Dan Rowbottom (pictured) during the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship
This weekly column from the Mayor of Rochdale, Councillor Billy Sheerin, is about the places he has been and the people he has met during the week commencing Monday 17 February to Sunday 23 February 2020.
Monday 17 February, I went to Sandon House for Heywood Charities Fete AGM. This was nice because what I was doing was distributing grants to local voluntary groups and organisations, with over £3,000 awarded in total.
The Heywood Charities Fete is an annual event which has taken place in Heywood since at least the 1930s. It involves a parade through Heywood, followed by a Fete at Queen's Park with stalls, activities and entertainment. Profits from the event are given each year in grants to local community organisations.
To be able to give out a cheque was really nice, as we are helping the groups with funding, but it is the hard work of the committee who organise events like this that really makes me proud. Heywood has a great community spirit that is clearly visible at the charities fete; I pay tribute to those that organise this event.
My next mayoral engagement was on Thursday 20 February. I was asked to step in at the very last minute to cover for the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, at the launch of the Tetrosyl sponsored car which will be driven by Adam Morgan and Dan Rowbottom during this year’s Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.
The first round will be at Donnington Park on the 28/29 March 2020 and will be covered live on television. There will be rounds every month until 10 and 11 October, where the season will finish at Brands Hatch.
The chairman and only shareholder of the Tetrosyl Group, Peter Schofield, during his interview with a television crew present was asked what are the benefits of a sponsorship and his reply was the obvious brand advertising and vast coverage that the car would provide, which was much bigger than normal television advertising.
Although I’m not a major fan of fast cars, I could see the attraction looking at this amazing vehicle, but you would never get me behind the wheel… I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t let me anyway!
This was an event that I thought I would never in my life be involved in, so being the mayor does really open so many doors.
Thursday evening, a Mayor’s Charity Concert was held at Holy Trinity Church, Littleborough to raise money for my chosen charities this year: Springhill Hospice, Alzheimer's Society, Parkinson's UK, Leukaemia UK, Hydro Pool, Shopmobility, M6 Theatre and other local charities and groups. This was a most enjoyable night and, even with the horrible weather outside, we had a good turnout.
The concert featured the North Region Air Training Cadets Concert Band, with director of music Flying Officer John D Thomas RAFAC and band master Ian Lawson. The air cadets band only get together four times a year as they come together from around the north west, so this was a special night.
The band provided an enjoyable programme including music from the Dam Busters March, the British war film 633 Squadron and The Greatest Showman. The event also had the mandatory raffle, which I’m very pleased to say the mayoress won a box of chocolates on, so I was pleased.
I want to say a very big thank you to Revd Ian Bullock from Holy Trinity and Frank Kershaw, also from the church, as well as John Kay for sponsoring the event, wing commander David Forbes for organising the event and a big thank you to Rossendale 1969 for providing the squadron with a minibus.
Over £600 was raised overall on the night.
Friday morning (21 February) I went to St Gabriel’s RC Primary School to celebrate 50 years since the school opened its site on Vicarage Road South.
I was invited as I attended the school as a boy after the war in the 1950s, so they asked me what it was like. My father was one of two school governors and the headmaster at the time was Anthony (Tony) Ball.
Children sang hymns which they really enjoyed, Father Michael gave them a talk and I was able to finish off the event by reminiscing that I was there 50 years ago. I remember the school being built; it was in a field on its own with no houses or fences built around it. Things were totally different, but it was a wonderful new school full of light, compared to the old school building.
I have many happy memories over the years, working in the school with the children, teachers and the parents, mainly due to being a governor for 15 years, and starting up the annual school pantomime, which has been produced every year for the past 40 years now.
All my children also went to St Gabriel’s and have lots of fond memories.
Shawclough Primary School had the official opening of the Rainbow Provision later Friday morning.
This proved to be a very special event for myself. I cut the ribbon to officially open the additional rooms, which are an annex to the main school building and have their own separate playground and special features, for example, there is a sensory room which is a calming feature, a quiet room and small classrooms for individual teaching.
During my conversation with Charlotte Keegan [manager of the Rainbow provision], I discovered that if a child excelled in maths, for instance, they would join the mainstream of the school with other children. If another child excelled in PE, they would also join the mainstream class to enjoy what they were good at. This, I thought, was very innovative and sensible.
I came away from this school with a very good feeling that we are moving in the right direction regarding special educational needs.
As part of the yearly Rochdale Music Service Festival of Performing Arts, I was present at this year’s Festival Concert in the town hall with the 103 Lancashire Artillery (V) Band and the Lancashire Artillery Pipes and Drums. This concert also featured the Rochdale Music Service’s Fanfare Team, Youth Choir and Youth Band with special guests Holy Family Primary School Choir and St Joseph’s Primary School Choir also joining the performance.
Special guest at the event was Colonel Reade and the conductors were Captain Guy Booth from the Lancashire Artillery and Catherine Brooks from Rochdale Music Service.
A well-attended audience enjoyed a programme which had a wide variety of music to suit all, featuring classical band music with songs from Cats the musical, Chicago and Jurassic Park plus more. A special feature which I enjoyed was a xylophone duet by Musician Brooks and Hari Mamman; one number that really made the hairs on my neck stand up was a composition called Mountain Thyme, which was really, really, impressive.
The programme started with a massed Fanfare Team, before ending with a massed finale, featuring 103 Regiment Pipe and Drums.
I had one engagement on Saturday 22 February and that was the Mayor of Tameside’s Civic Charity Ball at Dukinfield Town Hall. Hosted by the Mayor of Tameside, Councillor Leigh Drennan, and his Mayoral Consort, Cory James, the aim of the night was to raise funds for Leigh’s chosen charities: Believe and Achieve Trust, LGBT Foundation, Millstream Animal Shelter and Tameside 4 Good.
It was a very successful evening, and everybody had a really good time. I was sat between the Mayor of Salford and the Mayor of Bolton.
I finished the week on Sunday (23 February) at a lovely service at St Chad’s Church for Mark Coleman’s retirement.
Mark gave a very pointed and very generous sermon at the service. He will be a great loss in my opinion to the church and to Rochdale. Working with him, I found him inspirational and a man who has humanity at the front of everything he does. The gospel was read in English and in two other languages, which I’ve never heard before, but that shows how he was always at the forefront of diversity and inclusion.
Mark has been a revelation to us all and will be sadly missed, alongside Wendy Cocks his wife. May God bless them both.
Churchwarden Paul Bollington added: “St Chad‘s said farewell to Rev. Mark Coleman and his wife Wendy on Sunday.
“Over the years he has reached out to the wider community, worked in partnership with other faith leaders and led many civic and ceremonial events.
“I wish Mark well in his retirement as Vicar of Rochdale and thank him for his splendid service.”
Changes to Mayoral Invitations
To book the Mayor to attend any function there is now a four-week prior notification. If any event arises within the four-week period, the Mayor’s attendance cannot be guaranteed. However, please be assured that it will be considered and if possible, it will be attended.
Mayoral Invitations
The Mayor welcomes invitations to events held by local organisations and individuals. Due to demand, it may not be possible for the Mayor to attend every event he is invited to.
To invite the Mayor to your event, please complete the Mayor attendance form and return it to the Mayor’s Officer.
Visit: www.rochdale.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/mayors/Pages/mayoral-invitations.aspx
Email: mayoral@rochdale.gov.uk
Tel: 01706 924773
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