Well, where have the past 53 weeks gone? And yes, it is 53 weeks as somehow I managed to get an extra week!
It doesn’t seem possible that a year ago I was sitting here giving my acceptance speech at the start of my mayoral year and now, here I am, at the end.
But what a year it’s been!
Right at the start I set myself some challenges. I knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I didn’t want to waste a minute of it.
So my first challenge was to do everything that was asked of me, to accept all invitations, to refuse nothing unless I physically couldn’t be in two places at the same time, and I’ve done just that.
I’ve worked right through without a break, clocking up an average of 10 engagements a week.
Obviously, weeks have varied, some were quieter especially at the beginning but others were manic.
There were several weeks when I did 17 engagements and on Remembrance Day – seven in one day including four church services and three wreath layings.
The second of my challenges was to have fun and make sure everyone I came into contact with enjoyed the experience as much as I did – and I hope I’ve done that.
I’ve been to some amazing places and met some truly great people and always with a smile on my face.
The next was to take as many photos and tweet as much as possible and I’ve now got hundreds of photos and have increased the mayor’s followers on Twitter to over 1,100, allowing all those and beyond to know what a wonderful place Brighton and Hove is.
The last was to set myself a personal fundraising challenge. There were lots of suggestions – abseil off the i360? – No way! Run the marathon? Definitely not. Sleep out? Now, there was something I could possibly do.
People often ask me what have been the highlights of the year but it’s impossible to say as there have been so many but one that always comes to memory was right at the start of my year.
I was invited to Preston Park Fire Station Open Day. It was a lovely day and there were hundreds of families enjoying themselves.
I hadn’t been there long when I was asked by an officer how I was with heights.
“Well, I’ve been up the i360 a few times,” I said – and before I knew it I was wearing a fireman’s jacket and helmet and was heading towards the sun on an aerial platform ladder.
When we stopped at 60ft I was asked if I wanted to go all the way. “Well, I’ve come this far so I might as well,” I replied.
The view over the viaduct at 100ft was spectacular but it wasn’t until I saw the photos afterwards that I realised just how high we were, 100ft up completely vertical.
Great to see @Woodingdean_Dee ..the Mayor of Brighton and Hove supporting @EastSussexFRS today and taking part …this was just before she went up on the Ladder platform this morning pic.twitter.com/grMQNFabK7
— Dawn Whittaker (@CFOESFRS) May 26, 2018
Anyway, not content with that they brought me back down, put me in a full fireman’s outfit, size 12 boots, the lot, put me in the driver’s seat of a car and sliced the top off.
I think you’ll understand why that one was memorable.
Amazing day @EastSussexFRS Preston Circus 80yrs celebration & open day. Been 100ft up on aerial ladder & cut out of a car. Great to see so many families enjoying it. pic.twitter.com/GqtrdFXK4s
— Mayor of Brighton & Hove (@MayorOfficeBHCC) May 26, 2018
I’ve been to garden parties, fetes and carnivals. I attended over 20 summer and winter graduation ceremonies for both Sussex and Brighton universities.
Several 100-year-old birthday parties, even 101 and 102 – I’d never realised there were so many people that old in the city. It’s given me hope, I can tell you.
Some of my most enjoyable times have been with children. I’ll never forget the six little three-year-old boys from a small nursery in Withdean who came to the parlour to give me a poppy they’d made for Remembrance Day from a paper plate with cake cases painted red round the edge.
Or the young girls from Whitehawk who tried to teach me to hula hoop. They thought it was great that they could do something the mayor couldn’t.
I’ve welcomed so many groups into the parlour including local schools, language schools, scouts, guides, women’s groups and several business delegations, some from as far away as China.
Being invited to business conferences in the city has been very important this year as they’ve allowed me to use the mayoralty to promote the city and show what a wonderful offer we have for both business and tourism. Thanks to Visit Brighton for all they do.
Over the year, I’ve exercised, I’ve boxercised, I’ve line danced and waltzed. I’ve even tried my hand – or should I say feet – at samba and just last week at Bollywood.
I’ve played table tennis, litter picked and bowled. In fact, it was while I was bowling the first woods at Hollingbury Park Bowls Club as deputy mayor that I found out they were having a friendly bowls match with a team of Chelsea Pensioners later in the year.
Love this photo taken at Hollingbury Park Bowls Club this week. A great afternoon enjoyed by all. #keepactive pic.twitter.com/rdUYNQKp4s
— Mayor of Brighton & Hove (@MayorOfficeBHCC) August 17, 2018
So I invited myself and spent one of my most memorable afternoons with them. What characters they are! I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much. By the time I left my face and stomach were aching.
I’ve driven a Volk’s Railway carriage along the seafront, ridden on the back of a Harley Davidson and even milked a pantomime cow!
I’ve given out dozens of trophies and awards to both young and old. I’ve been entertained by singers from Russia, China, Japan and our own gay choruses in the city.
I think I’ve been in almost every church in the city and I have to say we have the most beautiful and stunning churches and really lovely clergymen and women.
I’ve walked at the front of several parades – Pride, Burning the Clocks and the Children’s Parade – and once again I was determined not to waste the opportunity and so walked all the way to the end of each one.
Pride was particularly challenging as I’d bought myself a very heavy rainbow sequined jacket which I was determined to wear till we reached Preston Park and, of course, it was a very hot day. But I kept it on. Stubborn to the end!
Walked the whole parade @PrideBrighton met some amazing people pic.twitter.com/70xFKyUumc
— Mayor of Brighton & Hove (@MayorOfficeBHCC) August 4, 2018
December was a special month. Apart from the round of lovely carol services, I got to welcome the real Father Christmas from Finland to the city, along with the Finnish ambassador from the embassy in London.
We visited some very sick children In the Royal Alex hospital and then went on to the pier to meet children from two local schools. We all had chips and juice and the children had a fabulous time questioning Santa about his home in Lapland.
I actually went back to the hospital on Christmas day with my husband and consort, visiting families in the Alex and also the dementia ward in the Sussex County, where the senior consultant was feeding everyone with pakoras – that he’d made himself. Apparently, it’s a tradition that has gone on for many years.
During my year I’ve been extremely lucky to have welcomed four royal visitors to the city – Princess Anne to the Annual Townswomen’s Guild Convention at the Dome, Harry and Meghan to the Royal Pavilion on that wonderful day when they visited Sussex for the first time as Duke and Duchess of Sussex and only last week I welcomed Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, to the East Sussex Women of the Year lunch at the Amex.
After all this, if you ask me what is the one thing I’m going to miss, it’s being able to walk into a room full of people I’ve never met before, just mingling and being treated as an old friend because of the mayoral chains.
Just started the #7portchallenge from the @BA_i360 . Good luck to all the riders raising funds https://t.co/hpppKz0Jra for @martletshospice @Rockinghorse67 @OTFbrighton @GraceEyreF
— Mayor of Brighton & Hove (@MayorOfficeBHCC) May 2, 2019
As you may know, I chose four main charities to support this year – the Martlets, Rockinghorse, Off the Fence and the Grace Eyre Foundation.
But as well as these, I’ve supported and promoted lots of other fundraising activities for many more charities and community organisations.
It’s been a really successful year. We’ve organised many events including a Caribbean night, fish and chip supper, variety show, a Christmas music evening and a banquet in the Royal Pavilion.
There have been several bucket collections – at the cricket ground, the Amex and, on Easter Monday, Robbie (the mayor’s chauffeur and mace bearer) and I joined a group of volunteers and walked up and down the pier.
And then of course there was my personal challenge – the sponsored sleep out. For someone who had never even slept in a tent, it was quite a scary thought.
Help me raise £500 to support four local charities in the city working with the homeless, hospice care, sick children and adults with learning disabilities.. Please #donate on @justgiving and RT. Thanks! https://t.co/lngfhdaVU9
— Mayor of Brighton & Hove (@MayorOfficeBHCC) January 30, 2019
Luckily it didn’t rain, although it was cold and windy, but my flattened cardboard box and sleeping bag allowed me to get some sleep while others who were taking part didn’t find it quite as easy.
I might not have done either as it was afterwards that I found out there’d been a mouse running around all night.
At the start of the year, I asked each of my charities for a wish list – the things they wanted to buy with the funds we raised – and this is what we’ll be buying.
For Off the Fence
- Two TVs for drop-in centre
- Hygiene packs for homeless women
- Community hour for homeless, four times a week for a month to include bingo, quizzes and discussions
- Training for volunteers on outreach and hygiene vans
- Two laptops
- Furnishings for drop-in centre and client one-to-one rooms
- Hygiene items for all projects
- Wellness day out for female clients to include venue, transport, lunch and workshop facilitators
- Shed for storage of craft materials for creative workshop therapy
- Interpreter to provide practical assistance for women where English is their second language
- One-to-one monitoring for school students in Brighton and Hove Schools and Youth Project
- Reflection spaces support equipment – pop-up tents, bubble tubes, display stands, etc
- Reflection spaces resource packs for schools
- Equipment for a multi-purpose training room for clients and volunteers
The Grace Eyre Foundation are going to use their share to hire sports venues, pay sports coaches and cover the co-ordination, which includes employing people with learning disabilities to have key roles so that others with learning disabilities can take part in really exciting sports and social activities across Brighton and Hove.
These important projects have offered hundreds of people broader friendship groups and reduced social isolation.
The Martlets are going to use theirs to provide additional day services including
- Physiotherapy
- Occupational therapy
- Complentary therapies such as acupuncture, massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, reiki and shiatsu
- Tai chi
- Hair dressing
- Singing in a choir
- Gardening
- Art therapy
- Social coffee mornings
Rockinghorse will use the money raised to buy at least one ventilator for the High Dependency Care Unit at the Alex – we are hoping it may be two – and to make sure every ward and waiting area has toys, games and books.
I’m sure you’ll agree that is an amazing list and I’d like to thank my Charities Committee, especially our treasurer Karl, for all the help and support they’ve given me during the year.
Also, thanks to everyone who donated prizes and all those who attended the events and made them so successful.
There are a few people I’d like to thank.
Firstly, the Civic Office staff – Michaela, Minna, Elaine, Vicky, Anoushka and Ruby – for their continual support and for making sure my year ran very smoothly.
Then there are the drivers – Darren, Paul, Danny and Robbie. Where would the mayor be without Robbie? He has never failed to pick me up at the right time, take me exactly to where I needed to go and made sure I was briefed on everything I needed to know.
Thank you so much, Robbie. It wouldn’t have been the same without you.
Off to Annual Council and my last trip in the Mayor’s car. Thanks to everyone who has helped & supported me over the past year. @Woodingdean_Dee pic.twitter.com/oZywuFLTlA
— Mayor of Brighton & Hove (@MayorOfficeBHCC) May 22, 2019
Now to my daughter Sam who has been amazing chairing my charities committee and keeping us all in order. Thank you so much for all your hard work.
Next my husband and consort, Paul Simson, thank you for your support during the year.
And my chaplain, Helen Rose, has not only delivered prayers at all full council meetings but has accompanied me to many other events. Her friendship and support have been invaluable. Thank you so much Helen.
Finally, I’d like to thank the deputy mayor, Councillor Alex Phillips, for attending engagements on my behalf over the past year when I was unavailable.
Councillor Dee Simson served as the mayor of Brighton and Hove from May 2018 to May 2019.
