Lord Provost Bill Campbell Blog #23

Hello and welcome to my End of Month Blog #23 as the Lord Provost of Dundee.

In April, I engaged in a wide range of activities and events throughout Dundee and beyond.

It is always an enriching experience to see the inspiring initiatives taking place involving our city and meeting the people behind them first-hand.

Activities over April 2024 included:

• On Tuesday 2nd, I attended an Iftar at Dundee Central Mosque before, on Thursday 4th, I was at the V&A Dundee for Scotland’s first ever Open Iftar. I was very happy to accept both invitations and was made extremely welcome on both occasions, meeting so many lovely people;
• I visited the Dundee Heritage Trust’s launch of the International Garden Photographer of the Year Exhibition at Verdant Works on the evening of Thursday 4th. I was delighted to attend the enriching show of wonderful photography and my congratulations go out to all of the award winners and organisers of the event;
• On Saturday 6th, I accepted an invitation from Dundee Football Club to attend their home Scottish Premiership match against Motherwell which was chosen to mark the Club’s connection with their charity partner – the Dundee & Angus branch of the SSAFA. It was an honour and a privilege to attend this special occasion as the Lord Provost and through the Armed Forces Covenant that Dundee City Council has adopted;
• I attended an open day at the Salvation Army Lifehouse Strathmore Lodge. It was a very welcoming visit and I enjoyed both the presentation and being given a viewing of the building. I want to thank everyone concerned for taking the time and for the work they carry out which positively impacts on many lives;
• On Sunday 14th, I attended the STUC President’s Reception at the Apex Hotel in Dundee. I was made most welcome and got round to talk with a number of the delegates;
• On Monday 15th, for the 127th STUC Congress taking place in the city, I was delighted to be invited to give a Civic Welcome to open the Congress during the morning. In the evening, I hosted a Civic Reception for the STUC organisers within the Caird Hall making another a short speech;
• I accepted an invite from Morgan Academy Head Teacher Jonathan Lothian to attend their first Learner Participation Summit on Tuesday 16th. The school pupils presented superbly and spoke with clarity and great enthusiasm on the school’s new learner community;
• On Wednesday 17th, I met separately with three Church Ministers throughout the day. I started by meeting with Reverend Grant MacLaughlan at Logie & St John’s (Cross) Church, then with The Rev’d Canon Dr Elizabeth Thomson at St Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral and, lastly, with Reverend Bob Wightman in the Twinning Room. My thanks go out to all three for a very informative and interesting day;
• In the morning of Thursday 18th, I travelled through to Glasgow to take up the invitation from Lord Provost of Glasgow Jacqueline McLaren to meet with her. We had an extremely informative and enlightening meeting in her impressive office with views over George Square;
• My first evening engagement on Thursday 18th, was with the Lady Provost to visit the V&A Dundee following an invitation from the University of Dundee for an Alumni event. There was a good number of attendees who were able to enjoy both a viewing of and to hear about the Dundee Tapestry;
• For my second evening engagement on Thursday 18th, the Lady Provost and I attended an excellent performance of Sunset Song at the Dundee Rep. The production of the Scottish classic was presented by Dundee Rep Theatre in co-production with Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh. Well done to all involved;
• On Saturday 20th, I attended the Highland Reserve Forces and Cadets Association (HRFCA) 2024 Annual Association Meeting at Discovery Point. I found proceedings fascinating and pertinent to my roles as Lord Lieutenant and Armed Forces Champion as well, with opportunities to develop greater connections with our Cadets and young people;
• I attended Abertay University’s 2024 Public Engagement Event in the Kydd Building on Wednesday 24th. The annual event welcomes friends, stakeholders, business contacts, students, staff and alumni of Abertay to reflect on the University’s achievements of the past year as well as opportunities and challenges. I very much enjoyed it and look forward to future conversations;
• On Thursday 25th, I attended and made a speech at the HMS Unicorn 200th anniversary event on board Scotland’s oldest ship. The vessel is a very recognisable part of Dundee’s cityscape and continues to interest people of all ages. I was delighted to be a part of this special event celebrating the iconic ship. I was delighted to cut the cake and as you can see, also enjoyed eating it;
• Also on Thursday 25th, the Depute Lord Provost Kevin Cordell gave a Civic Welcome in the City Chambers at a Civic Reception for the Dundee Scouts Gang Show to celebrate the incredible talent, creativity and dedication that is annually showcased and thrives in our city’s Scout Association;
• On Tuesday 30th, Council Leader Cllr John Alexander and I met with United States Consul General Jack Hillmeyer and Programs Manager at the United States Consulate in Edinburgh Patrick Hogan, in the Twinning Room on the Civic Floor. It was a pleasure to welcome Jack and Patrick to the city and have an excellent wide-ranging discussion on various matters.

For updates as they occur, you can find the latest Lord Provost news and activities on both Facebook and Twitter/X.

Thank you for taking the time to read my April 2024 Blog.

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