Mayor's column: "Thoroughly enjoying every minute"

Councillor Shakil Ahmed was sworn in as the Mayor of Rochdale in May 2024. This month, the mayor talks about the heartening reception across the borough during various events, including school visits, Armed Forces gatherings, and celebrations for Ukrainian and Pakistan Independence Days.

I am around a third of my way through my mayoral year and I am thoroughly enjoying every minute. Across the borough, the reception I am receiving has been heartening.

At visits to a school, a business, a charity, an event or an opening of a new facility, everyone is so helpful and welcoming. During the summer weeks, I enjoyed some lovely visits that, as always, saw our borough at its very best.

We are very proud of the support we provide our Armed Forces community, so I was delighted to visit our pioneering Armed Forces Breakfast Club recently to chat with our veterans.

The breakfast goes from strength to strength and provides our Armed Forces community with the opportunity to socialise over a breakfast and a brew. 

Following the breakfast, I was honoured to raise the RAF roundel to mark the 84th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. The battle was an important moment in the Second World War and the allied forces defeat of evil. We will remember them. Lest we forget.

In late August, I marked Ukrainian Independence Day with colleagues from across the council. It was moving and emotional to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Ukrainian community.

This important day is an important reminder of their ongoing struggle to protect their freedoms, liberty and way of life. Our support remains steadfast.

Pakistan Independence Day is always an important day on the calendar, which was marked with a special dinner and celebrations across the community.

I was honoured to support these events and I would like to thank everyone who played their part in making it another Pakistan Independence Day to remember.

Across the borough, we have picturesque parks, stunning floral displays and attractive street scenes. Much of this is down to our wonderful In Bloom teams and army of volunteers, who make our borough sparkle throughout the year. It’s no wonder that, year on year, we scoop so many In Bloom awards and fingers crossed this year will be no different.

I enjoyed a really nice event thanking our In Bloom sponsors for everything they do to support our work and making the borough such an attractive place for our residents, businesses and visitors.

Other events I have attended in recent weeks include:-

• The FestiDale opening ceremony at Kingsway High School, beginning two wonderful weeks of arts and crafts, live performances, our Mini Museum, bespoke stories, unseen screenings from Jasleen Kaur’s Gut Feelings Meri Jaan exhibition and some exclusive sharings from our Side-By-Side project.
• A wonderful afternoon and evening at our Feel Good festival, which showcased our community at its very best. It was lovely to see such a diverse crowd from across the borough and beyond, enjoying a stella line up of music, song and dance. Well done to everyone who played their part, including our army of volunteers, in ensuring one of the high notes of the summer delivered in style.
• In continued support for our Armed Forces community I had a very enjoyable evening at the Parachute Regiment dinner.

A continued thanks to my dedicated charities. Throughout the year my Mayoral work will be raising funds for Springhill Hospice, the Team Thompson Against Cancer Appeal in conjunction with Rochdale AFC Community Trust, Aspire 2 Inspire Communities, Rochdale Heartbeat and Get Together After Serving. 

All these organisations do amazing work, supported by wonderful teams of staff and volunteers. I am looking forward to giving them my support. Donations to my charities can be sent to:

The Mayor’s Office, floor 2, Number One Riverside, Smith Street, Rochdale, OL16 1XU. If any organisation would like a visit during my mayoral year, please ring 01706 924834 and my team will be happy to help.

Further information on my charities and the work I will be undertaking can be found at: rochdale.gov.uk/mayor