Children from St Martin’s School Bournemouth were invited to meet the Mayor at the Civic Centre, with the great-granddaughter of a former Mayor among the group.
Eleven children and four members of staff from the independent prep school in Stoke Wood Road were hosted by the Mayor, Councillor Anne Filer, in the Mayor’s Parlour at the Civic Centre in Bournemouth.
The children, all current or former school councillors, chatted with the Mayor who reflected on the similarities between their role and hers, as elected representatives working to make things better for their peers. They also spoke about the litter picking they’ve done in school and in the community – a particular passion of the Mayor, who is a longstanding member of volunteer litter picking community the Dorset Devils.
As well as hearing a little about the history of Bournemouth, the children learnt all about the Mace, the symbol of the Mayor’s authority, from Macebearer, Jeff Brown. They also visited the historic Council Chamber, where they were invited to ask the Mayor questions from the seats used by elected councillors during committee meetings.
The visit, on Wednesday, January 31st, ended with the children signing the visitors’ book, following in the footsteps of generations of important visitors to the Mayor’s Parlour, among them members of the Royal Family and Prime Ministers including Winston Churchill.
For one school councillor, Amelia Hirst, aged 6, it was an even more special experience as the Mayor’s Parlour was once occupied by her great-grandfather, Mr Deric Sidney Scott, who served as Mayor of Bournemouth in 1961–1962. The children spotted his photo on the wall, and the Mayor’s Consort, Hon Alderman Michael Filer, himself a former Mayor and long-serving Councillor, remembered him well, as ‘a formidable Mayor’ and a ‘true gentleman.’
It even turned out that Madam Mayor went to school with Amelia’s grandmother, Lena, and was able to pass along her good wishes to her old classmate via her granddaughter.
Cllr. Anne Filer, Mayor of Bournemouth, commented:
“I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the children; they were all so engaged and interested and asked wonderful questions. It was a pleasure to have them.”
Mrs. Kerri Male, Headteacher at St Martin’s School, Bournemouth, which is celebrating 110 years this year, said:
“We are so grateful to Madam Mayor for hosting us and sharing her passion for public service and local democracy with the children. She gave them enormous encouragement, and they came away feeling even more excited about their role as school councillors, and inspired to go out and make things better, not only in their school but in the wider community too.”
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