My week began on Sunday when I joined colleagues and friends to celebrate the lives of sisters, and suffragettes, Edith and Beatrice Clayton-Pepper.

The blue plaque unveiling took place outside the former Clayton-Pepper family residence on 2, Primrose Avenue, Urmston.

Beatrice and Edith were significant activists within the Women’s Social and Political Union; and I’m proud we can lay claim to their legacy here in Trafford.

On Monday, I travelled to Altrincham with Cllr Catherine Hynes, Executive Member for Leisure, Arts, Culture and Heritage, to tour the hidden gem that is the studio owned by the world-famous film and animation directors – Mackinnon and Saunders.

Their most recent work garnered an Oscar for the animated production of Pinocchio.

What Peter and Ian have achieved here is nothing short of ground-breaking, and I look forward to working with them in the future.

I spent the afternoon in meetings and preparing for events later in the week.

On Tuesday, I visited the fantastic team at Home-Start in Old Trafford to present Preparation Course Certificates to all the new volunteers.

Without sounding bias because I am a trustee – the work undertaken by this volunteer-led charity cannot be underestimated.

They are a lifeline for parents who find they are struggling to cope. At times life can be tough and parenting a challenge.

It was an absolute pleasure to award the cohort of new volunteers their certificates – and I wish them every success in their new roles.

On Wednesday, the NHS 75^th birthday celebrations dominated the headlines – and rightly so!

I was joined by my Ward colleague, Cllr Jane Slater, Executive Member for Health and Care, to celebrate the landmark occasion.

We attended an event hosted by NHS Greater Manchester at Urmston Sports Club – it was a great opportunity to meet staff and truly celebrate the special day.  To access further information, click here.

On Thursday, following an invitation from the Remembering Srebrenica North West Regional Board, colleagues and friends from across the region marked the 28th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide, which included a Civic Memorial Service held at Manchester Cathedral.

The theme for 2023 is, Together We Are One, with the hope that it will empower communities to actively challenge stereotyping, scapegoating, hate speech and dehumanising language and counter this by working towards creating a society characterised by embracing our common humanity.

On Friday, I met with colleagues from Greater Manchester Poverty Action to discuss how we work together to address the causes of poverty and support local residents during the cost of living crisis.

I then ended my week watching the amazing students at Manor Academy in their summer production at Sale Waterside.  The young people of Manor Academy always impress with their amazing talent; and I look forward to seeing more of their shows in future!

Have a great weekend.

Best wishes,

Tom.