A few highlights

I have been too busy to blog, of late, sorry to everyone who has come looking for news and found the cupboard bare.

Here are a few highlights of the last couple of weeks

I have been to Manchester to meet the Heritage Lottery Fund people to explain why the costs for the cemetery restoration have gone up so much since our original estimate. One of the regional team is coming for a look round in early September before their next committee, just to make sure that they are still satisfied we are on track. I am so nervous about it all, but am sure that when she sees the cemetery for herself, she will fall in love with it too.

We had a great night out at Jimmy's Grill on Prescot Road in Fairfield to celebrate the ongoing successes of KVFM and the online project, we took the whole place over, if you have not been, I can recommend it, great Indian food.

I delivered some regional Labour Party training at the Devonshire House Hotel on behalf of Progress, for would-be local government candidates from across the region. Had some good feedback last week and learnt that one of the women I trained has already been selected for a seat in West Lancs.

We had a good respect week in Kensington and Fairfield. Torrential rain did not stop our successful community BBQ on the Monday lunchtime, with fun and games and lots of stalls, all under cover at St Francis of Assisi Academy. There were lots of good events throughout the week, including jobs cafe, business events, neighbourhood watch set-ups. We had traffic wardens patrolling our hotspots and dog wardens patrolling our dirt spots. The police did loads of work and cleared up lots of outstanding warrants. We are going to have a think about making some changes for next year so that it stays fresh and exciting and we still need to do a lot more work on publiciting and marketing of events.

On that note I am working up a proposal to be funded via our devolved budget, for a marketing events training session during October half term at the Academy. I will be sending out invites shortly for everyone in our ward who organises events so that we can all learn how to ensure we get the best possible turnouts and audiences.

I have had a good meeting with the LCC officers organising the housing needs survey to ensure that they are interviewing a representative number of BME and disabled people who have particular housing needs, so that we capture those.

I went to Burton Manor on the Wirral to an AGM, as a new governor. A very interesting place, an adult residential college which seems rather underutilised to me, I have asked about their marketing strategy, we shall learn more at the next meeting.

I went to the Labour Party leadership hustings in Manchester to listen to and learn more about the five candidates for the post - Ed and David Miliband, Ed Balls, Diane Abbott and Andy Burnham. I still dont know who to vote for though, they all had strong points but none of them really quite did it for me. I have never voted for the winner in any leadership campaign though, so I dont suppose this vote will matter to the result either!

I spoke at the vigil to mark the second anniversary of the murder of Michael Causer. You can see the film here, thanks to Tim Brunsden for putting it together. Or try looking on the Homotopia TV website and clicking on the Michael Causer link on the right.

We had a meeting to discuss further proposals for a new Edge Hill Youth Club, we have to make sure the club can afford to pay the extra funds required for enhancements upon what they already have in their current facility - we hope to have some clarity on that next week.

I have been to three select committees, two as Assistant Cabinet Member and one as a committee member in my own right, I am enjoying them after not being on any last year.

I did a citizenship ceremony with Roger Phillips yesterday, he was telling me that he had a trapped nerve and had been off sick for a couple of days, the first time in over 30 years of working for BBC Radio Merseyside, what a good clean sheet!

We had our Hate Crime Reduction Forum away day last week, and have some really great stuff to go on the action plan, what a shame we will have to progress without Phil Garrigan who has been a fantastic secondee from the Fire Service, and is going back there on promotion.

And of course there was Pride.......but that deserves an entry all of its own!