Minutes:
The Lord Mayor pointed out that the Belfast-based Array Collective, would, later in the evening, be informed if it had secured the prestigious Turner Prize for 2021 and wished them every success.
The Lord Mayor referred to the fact that Councillor Kyle had recently undergone surgery and extended to him her best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Councillor O’Hara, in pointing out that the Council meeting was taking place on World Aids Day, welcomed the advances which had been made over the years to limit the impact of HIV and AIDS and stressed that the delivery of a new Sexual Health Promotion Strategy by the Northern Ireland Executive would be welcomed.
Councillor Mulholland welcomed the recent announcement that Belfast had attained UNESCO City of Music status and congratulated all those who had contributed to that achievement.
At the request of Councillor McCullough, the Lord Mayor agreed to write a letter of congratulations to local footballer Mr. Dale Taylor, who, in making his debut in a recent World Cup qualifying game against Lithuania, had, at the age of seventeen, become one of the youngest players to represent Northern Ireland at senior level.
Alderman Kingston referred to the recent death of Mrs. May Campbell, who had served as a Councillor for Belfast between 2005 and 2014, and thanked the Lord Mayor for acceding to his request to send a letter to the former Councillor’s family expressing her deepest condolences.
The Lord Mayor agreed, at the request of Councillor Garrett, to forward a letter to Mr. Derek McCallan, the outgoing Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Local Government Association, wishing him well in his retirement.
World Aids Day
The Lord Mayor reminded the Council that the meeting was taking place on World Aids Day and, with that in mind, drew its attention to a letter which she had received from a nineteen-year-old HIV positive female university student.
The student had outlined the difficulties which she had faced in coming to terms her diagnosis and the stigma/change in attitudes which she had encountered in school, once her HIV positive status had been publicised.
Through time, she had sought help from the Positive Life and the Children’s HIV Association (CHIVA) support groups, both of which had played a key role in increasing her understanding of living with HIV.
The student had gone on to state that she was now in her second year in university and had outlined new challenges which she faced in terms of, for example, developing relationships and revealing her health history.
She had concluded by pointing out that Positive Life was calling for a consistent approach to be adopted towards the delivery of relationship and sexual education in schools, as a means of raising awareness of HIV from a young age.
Changes to Committees and Outside Bodies
The Chief Executive reported that notification had been received from the Democratic Unionist Party of the following changes in membership:
· Alderman Dorrian to replace Councillor Tracy Kelly on the Brexit Committee;
· Councillor Tracy Kelly to replace Councillor Spratt on the City Growth and Regeneration Committee;
· Councillor Spratt to replace Councillor McCullough on the Planning Committee; and
· Councillor Spratt to replace Councillor Pankhurst on the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association.
The Council noted the changes.