Minutes:
It was proposed by Councillor Hoy, seconded by Councillor Mrs French and resolved that Councillor Brenda Barber be elected as Chairman of the Council for the period to the next Annual meeting and that she be paid an allowance of £4,120 plus travelling expenses.
Councillor Barber received the Chain of Office, signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office and addressed the Council as follows:
In the time since I became a Councillor for FDC I have seen how special this place is and the people within it are what make it special. This is a well-run, efficient Council whose first purpose is to serve the public. This is true of everyone from the Chief Executive and Leader down to all the officers, staff and elected members. I am very proud to have been chosen as the new Chairman and I will do everything I can to live up to the trust you have all placed in me.
Councillor Barber stated that she would like to formally acknowledge and thank the previous Chairman, Councillor Nick Meekins, for undertaking the role from May 2023 to date and presented him with his Past Chairman’s badge.
Councillor Meekins congratulated Councillor Barber and made the following announcement.
Firstly, I must thank you for giving me the opportunity to be Chairman and represent Fenland District Council at a host of civic events, in 2023/24 I attended 54 events and in 2024/25 attended 80. I hosted Civic Receptions at Gorefield and Carol Services at St Peter’s church in Wisbech. I also hosted two coffee mornings in the Chamber, the first raised money for MAGPAS and the second for Damsons, a dementia charity based at Peckover House in Wisbech. Before both Christmases I visited the staff at the Boathouse, the Base and here in Fenland Hall to thank them for their hard work.
2023 was a mixed year for me personally – my wife, Sara and I brought Parkrun to Wisbech and it now regularly attracts around 150 people doing the 5K course and with the volunteers and spectators there must be nearly 200 people enjoying the park on a Saturday morning. Many of you will know that my mother spent most of 2023 in either hospital or a care home with dementia, it was tough time for the family, she died shortly before Christmas 2023. But it wasn’t always doom and gloom for the Meekins family in 2023, my daughter Emily gave birth to George, my first grandchild in September and my other daughter Alice got engaged to Dan in December. They married in Oslo last August, doing part of the father of the bride’s speech in Bulgarian was a surreal experience, she is now expecting my second grandchild.
Now to the thank you’s. To the ladies of Member Services I am most grateful, especially to Jo who sorted out my civic calendar so well. To Paul, Carol and Amy for their support and advice on Full Council days. Most important of all is my special thanks to Sara who has accompanied me on most of the events I’ve attended and helped me immensely through the ups and downs of the past couple of years.