Written by Labib, Head Boy
On Sunday 21 May, Mrs Cowan, our Head Girl Isobel and I were cordially invited to take part in our new local Mayor’s Civic Service at Blackburn Cathedral. The purpose of this event was to welcome our new mayor, Coun Parwaiz Akhtar, to the role and to come together as a community to meet him. Historically, the Civic Service served as an opportunity for the new Mayor to pledge his allegiance to his area and bless his year in office in the form of prayer and speeches.
Glorious sunshine greeted our day at King George’s Hall, Blackburn, in order to meet people and take our positions for the procession to Blackburn Cathedral. We met several local political figures, such as councillors and our constituency’s MP Kate Hollern, along with important members of our local community, including the scouts and their leaders, as well as meeting the new Mayor. Excitement filled the air as the local brass band began to play and, in formation, we began to march through Blackburn town centre, observing the police horses leading the procession and the public watching on from the sides of the road.
We eventually reached the grand Blackburn Cathedral where we took our seats, awaiting the beginning of the civic service. During the service, we sang religious hymns and read prayers in order to bless the actions taken by our new Mayor in his following year in office. This was followed by several speeches, read by local members of the community such as councillors and religious leaders, in support of our new Mayor’s time in office. Finally, our new Mayor said a few words, pledging his allegiance to Blackburn, stating that he will serve our town to the best of his ability.
Finally, we again processed through to the Town Hall, where our new Mayor greeted his community and said a few words, stating how, “over my twelve months as Mayor, I’m looking forward to meeting people from diverse backgrounds who live and work in Blackburn with Darwen. I want to help support our communities to grow stronger, regardless of any difference.” What a fantastic day!
We’d like to formally congratulate our new Mayor, Coun Parwaiz Akhtar, on his appointment to the role, and wish him all the best in his year in office. As a school, we are certainly looking forward to working together with him as a head of our community.
Labib, Head Boy
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