In this edition of About, we meet the Mayoral team, which works as part of the Marketing and Communications department. They are a unique team within the Council, working directly for the councillors who serve as Mayor and Deputy.
Helen takes care of all the administration, including diary detailing and budgets, she also organises and coordinates public events. Helen liaises closely with Trevor and Jon on the many Mayoral engagements. Knowledge of protocol and attention to details are paramount to the success of this work.
Trevor ensures the Mayor’s safety and that of the mayoral regalia, as chauffeur, attendant and macebearer.
His work extends outside Hastings to visiting the twin towns in Belgium, France, Germany and Holland. Understandably, promptness is a key element of his job and the official car DY1 is also Trevor’s responsibility. Trevor also caries one of the town’s two maces on civic processions.
Jon is our second macebearer but as town crier is involved in more than 20 official functions each year, when he performs his traditional ceremonial role.
His eye-catching uniform and the “biggest and best” bell (weighing around 9lbs), provides him with first-class tools to market our town to the full. He travels the world promoting Hastings and is also involved in twin town visits.
The 40 years combined experience of Helen, Trevor and Jon ensures that every new Mayor receives an extremely high standard of support from the knowledgeable mayoral team.
Since becoming MP in 1997 I have voted in Parliament for more money and more resources for our schools. Year by year this record investment has begun to pay off – and rightly so – because every child matters. I’m pleased that so much in our schools is changing for the better.
However, people tell me that behaviour in some schools remains a problem and one which makes a huge difference to their children’s education. Although Ofsted have said that the number of secondary schools at which behaviour is good or better has risen to 74 per cent this year from 68 per cent in 03/04, we cannot be complacent. Every child has a right to a good education, but no child has the right to disrupt the education of other children. There is no greater responsibility than teaching the next generation, and head teachers, teachers and support staff deserve support and respect.
That’s why the Government recently asked heads, teachers and other school staff who are experts in school discipline to report on how best to tackle the challenge of bad behaviour. They have now published their recommendations and the Government has accepted them in full.
We have agreed to give extra powers to teachers, in particular a new and unambiguous legal right for school staff to discipline pupils; to ensure parents supervise excluded pupils and impose fines if they fail to keep them off the streets; to introduce wider powers on parenting contracts and orders, and to introduce the first National Behaviour Charter to encourage every school to have a clear discipline code.
Parents can also play a huge part in working with their child’s school to make sure that provides the best education possible. The Government is currently consulting on proposals aimed at increasing parental involvement in schools and providing teachers with more freedom and flexibility to respond individually to each and every child.
I hope everyone in our town will contribute to this discussion too – just drop me a line at 84 Bohemia Rd St Leonards. That way we will get the best education for every child.
Hastings residents were given the opportunity to meet councillors and Council officers at the annual Street Fair. The event took place at Priory Meadow and many of the Council’s ‘behind the scenes’ staff came out to meet shoppers and answer their queries.
It was organised as part of Local Democracy Week, which saw various other events taking place over the country. The idea is to give people the opportunity to see for themselves what their local council does.
Residents enjoyed the opportunity to meet people from various Council departments and find out exactly what they do. Many departments were represented from revenues to regeneration, and from planning to PR and marketing.
Local councillors were there too, including Council leader Jeremy Birch who said: “The Street Fair proved to be a great success. I was very pleased with the interest shown by local people in our work. It was also very good for members of the public to be able to meet with some of the ‘back room’ council officers and to talk about the issues that affect them. It was great to be able to hear so many positive comments from the public about the Street Fair and the Council”.
While shoppers wandered around stalls in the mall they learned about sporting activities, recycling and refuse, tourism, regeneration, the Safer Hastings Partnership, Council tax and much more. All in all it was a very successful event, worthwhile for both residents and the Council.
You can now contact Hastings Borough Council by text message. We know it’s very important for you to contact us easily so we’ve added another way for you to get in touch.
You can now text a question or ask for advice on a whole range of Council services.
Why not give the new system a try and text us your opinion.
This edition we’re carrying out a text poll. We want to know if you think identity cards should be introduced in Britain.
Text the words ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to 07797 879999
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This page last updated: 21/12/2005