Lord Provost Bill Campbell Blog #4

Hello, and welcome to my fourth Blog as the Lord Provost of Dundee.

The past month has been very different to other months in my role as Lord Provost and Lord Lieutenant. I was deeply saddened to hear that Her Majesty The Queen had passed away when the news was announced on Thursday 8^th September.

Regular activities which took place at the start and towards the end of September, included:

• Depute Lord Provost Kevin Cordell attended the launch event and took part in the 2022 Dundee Cyclathon;
• I met with a running group from Dundee’s twinned city of Würzberg who were over visiting local runners and took part in a run at the city’s Camperdown Park;
• I visited Menzieshill Community Centre to see the impressive work being carried out on the Dundee Tapestry. I was delighted to be invited to make a few stitches myself;
• I laid a wreath, with the Lady Provost, at the Dundee International Submarine Memorial;
• I attended the Dundee Carers Centre’s Annual General Meeting and an Information Event which followed. I gave a short speech and made a presentation to their CEO Lucinda Godfrey;
• The Lady Provost and I were present at an Opera Highlights Performance in the city’s Marryat Hall which marked Opera Highlights starting a tour bringing Opera to 60 communities around Scotland for their 60^th anniversary;
• We both also attended the closing of the Dundee schedule of the Opera Festival Scotland in the Caird Hall, which included a young artists’ singing competition for the first Opera Festival Scotland trophy;
• I also had the opportunity to visit a STEM Expo 2022 Event at the Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc which showcased some of the region’s green energy projects to young people in order to understand how they work;
• On Friday 30^th, along with Council Leader John Alexander, I welcomed a delegation from Helsinki to the V&A;
• And finally, in the evening of Friday 30th, I attended and spoke at a dinner for the Nine Incorporated Trades of Dundee.
  
  

However, during September and following the sad news of the passing of Her Majesty The Queen, my duties also included:

• On Sunday 11^th September, along with a number of other Provosts and Lord Lieutenants, I stood on a stand adjacent to the Kingsway to pay my respects as the Queen’s cortege passed through Dundee;
• On Monday 12^th September, I attended a service at St Giles’ Cathedral where The Queen was lying in state. This was followed by a short journey to the Scottish Parliament to attend a Motion of Condolence;
• As the city’s Lord Lieutenant and Lord Provost, I led Dundee’s civic tribute to Her Majesty The Queen;
• The Lady Provost and I had the honour of being the first in the city to lay a floral tribute to Her Majesty The Queen in City Square;
• Ahead of the state funeral held for Her Majesty The Queen, a National Moment of Reflection took place on the evening of Sunday 18^th September;
• I visited the Ahmadiyaa Muslim Community, Dundee, who were holding a special remembrance event to commemorate the extraordinary life and service of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II;
• With the Lady Provost, we both attended the Queen lying in state in Westminster Hall on the morning on Saturday 21^st before attending the Funeral of the Queen at Westminster Abbey on the following Monday morning.

Additional Lord Provost duties during September included:

• On Saturday 3^rd, I attended the 75^th anniversary of India’s independence at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh, which was followed the same evening by the short journey to Edinburgh Castle, to attend a Services Cadet event;
• On Tuesday 6^th, I attended the launch of the Year of the Older Person at Verdant Works where I made a speech;
• On Tuesday 13^th, I attended a civic reception at Discovery Point for 5^th International Symposium on Plant Apoplastic Diffusion Barriers where I made a speech;
• On Wednesday 21^st, the Depute Lord Provost attended the Dundee Sports Dinner at the Invercarse Hotel;
• On Monday 26^th, I attended a meeting with Dr Abubaker at Al-Maktoum College;
• On Wednesday 28^th, I presented certificates at a Citizenship Ceremony;
• On Thursday 29^th, as Lord Lieutenant, and alongside the Lady Provost, I welcomed HRH Princess Royal to a visit to the HMS Unicorn;
• Also on the 29^th, I held a civic reception for the hundredth anniversary of the Rotary Club of Dundee.

For updates as they occur, the latest Lord Provost news and activities are available on both Facebook and Twitter.

Thank you for taking the time to read this Post and I hope to update you further on my civic responsibilities in the future through my October blog.

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