Hello and welcome to my End of Month Blog #29 as the Lord Provost of Dundee.

October proved to be a very busy month for the Lord Provost's office in which many events and activities took place.

Activities over October included:

• In the morning of Tuesday 1st, I had a meeting with a representative of the Royal Regiment of Scotland in the Twinning Room;
• In the afternoon of Tuesday 1st, I gave a Civic Welcome to those attending the Stated Meeting of the Nine Incorporated Trades of Dundee in the City Chambers. The meeting saw the passing over of the chain of office from Raymond Edwards to new Deacon Convener John Fyffe MBE;
• In the evening of Tuesday 1st, I gave a welcome speech at a Civic Reception in the City Chambers marking the 250th anniversary of the Fraternity of Masters and Seamen receiving a Royal Charter. The Fraternity is an important institution in Dundee's charitable landscape making a positive and very worthwhile difference to many communities;
• In the evening of Wednesday 2nd, I was in the Edinburgh City Chambers for a Reception marking The Day of German Unity which was brought by The German Ambassador Miguel Berger, The German Consul General in Edinburgh Christiane Hullmann and The Office of the Free State of Bavaria. With Würzburg being a Twin City of Dundee, events such as these allow me to promote our city which is part of my duties as Lord Provost;
• Depute Lord Provost Kevin Cordell welcomed members of the Girls' Brigade to the City Chambers for a Civic Reception also on Wednesday 2nd;
• On Thursday 3rd, I attended the Cornerstone Star Awards 2024 at the city's Apex Hotel. This event was an opportunity to celebrate the work and achievements of staff, volunteers and those supported by the service provided by Cornerstone. It was an honour to meet so many amazing people once again in an atmosphere that is one of great fun, care and the presentation of well-deserved awards;
• With Council Leader Cllr Mark Flynn I visited the Challenge Poverty Week unit in the upper floor of the Overgate on Tuesday 8th. We had conversations with many of those involved and took away informational leaflets. My thanks to those involved taking the time to speak with us and explain many aspects of the Challenge Poverty Week messaging;
• Also on Tuesday 8th, I attended a launch event for the unveiling of the details of Dundee's Christmas Village to take place this year. I'm sure this event will be a fantastic addition to the city's Christmas calendar, drawing families and visitors in. I look forward to seeing City Square transformed for the festive period;
• On Monday 14th, I had the honour and privilege of presenting a card and flowers to one of Dundee's citizens on her 100th birthday;
• On Friday 18th, Depute Lord Provost Kevin Cordell took part in a Show Racism the Red Card awareness event in City Square alongside the Council's Culture, History and Sport spokesperson Cllr Lynne Short, Bailie Fraser Macpherson and Cllr Daniel Coleman, as well as a number of representatives from influential Dundee sports organisations;
• I had the pleasure of making the closing speech at the Dundee & Angus College's 'College of Sanctuary' celebration event at their Gardyne Campus on Monday 21st. This was a great accolade for D&A College who became the first College in Scotland to be awarded College of Sanctuary status. My congratulations to this amazing innovative College and yet another very special achievement in the heart of Dundee and in Arbroath;
• On Tuesday 22nd, I had an early morning meeting at the V&A Dundee with members of the Royal College of Defence Studies - the senior college of the UK Defence Academy. I provided an overview of my role as the Lord Provost of Dundee and took questions from the floor;
• I welcomed the new Consul General Siddharth Malik from the Consulate of India in Edinburgh to the Civic Floor on Wednesday 23rd. I was very pleased to meet with him and to exchange gifts, I presented him with a plaque of the City of Dundee;
• In the evening of Wednesday 23rd, I attended the Abertay at 30 celebration event in the Kydd Building on Bell Street marking the anniversary of the University. I have had the honour of attending a number of Abertay University events during my time as Lord Provost and would like to thank everyone past and present for what they have done for the educational organisation dating back to its origins;
• On Thursday 24th, I was very pleased to host a Civic Reception in the City Chambers for Veterans Housing Scotland. There was a large turnout and I had the privilege of giving a Civic Welcome before a number of other speeches and a presentation took place;
• In the morning of Friday 25th, I accepted the invitation to attend the Dundee Carers Centre AGM taking place at the Central Baptist Church on Ward Road. The Dundee Carers Centre aim to improve the lives of unpaid carers of all ages and disabled people by giving help, information and access to learning;
• In the afternoon of Friday 25th, I spoke at the 50th anniversary celebration event for Ninewells Hospital which took place in the Ian Low Centre before co-planting a commemorative tree at the Ninewells Avenue entrance. It was a great honour to attend and speak at this significant milestone event for the Ninewells Hospital and Medical School in which so many Dundee citizens have interacted with over the years;
• In the evening of Friday 25th, in my role as President of the Black Watch Association, I was honoured to attend the Black Watch Royal Highland Regiment Officers' Gathering Dinner at Balhousie Castle in Perth. I was able to catch up with a number of serving and retired officers and also made the acquaintance of a number of those attending;
• As I have the honour and privilege of being the Honorary President of the Dundee Sea Cadets, I was delighted to be invited along to their Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 29th. I am always made most welcome when meeting with them and I thank Commanding Officer Barry Ross and his team for all they do for the Dundee Sea Cadets;
• In the morning of Wednesday 30th, I attended a meeting with Principal Liz Bacon at the Abertay University where we discussed a number of matters including that of Dundee's Twinned Cities;
• In the evening of Wednesday 30th, I was very pleased to attend the Annual General Meeting of the Guildry of Dundee which took place in the City Chambers. The Guildry carry out much positive work throughout the city and it is always an honour to be invited along to their events;
• On Thursday 31st, I was honoured to attend and be invited to speak at a Civic Reception being held in the City Chambers to mark the 50th anniversary of Dundee Women's Aid. The work the charity carries out to provide vitally important support and safety for many women, children, and young people in the city simply cannot be understated.

For updates as they occur, you can find the latest Lord Provost news and activities on both Facebook and Twitter/X.

Thank you for taking the time to read my Blog.

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