Agenda and minutes

8.46pm – Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Adronie Alford, Paul Alexander, Sally Taylor, and Victoria Brocklebank-Fowler.

Councillor Ann Rosenburg attended the meeting online.

If a Councillor has a disclosable pecuniary interest in a particular item, whether or not it is entered in the Authority’s register of interests, or any other significant interest which they consider should be declared in the public interest, they should declare the existence and, unless it is a sensitive interest as defined in the Member Code of Conduct, the nature of the interest at the commencement of the consideration of that item or as soon as it becomes apparent.

At meetings where members of the public are allowed to be in attendance and speak, any Councillor with a disclosable pecuniary interest or other significant interest may also make representations, give evidence or answer questions about the matter.  The Councillor must then withdraw immediately from the meeting before the matter is discussed and any vote taken.

Where Members of the public are not allowed to be in attendance and speak, then the Councillor with a disclosable pecuniary interest should withdraw from the meeting whilst the matter is under consideration. Councillors who have declared other significant interests should also withdraw from the meeting if they consider their continued participation in the matter would not be reasonable in the circumstances and may give rise to a perception of a conflict of interest.

Councillors are not obliged to withdraw from the meeting where a dispensation to that effect has been obtained from the Standards Committee.

8.47pm – There were no declarations of interest.

In recognition of the achievements and contributions of Beryl Foster OBE, Bear Montique OBE, and Barrie Stead to the wellbeing of the residents of our borough and London as a whole, the Council is requested to confer on them the “Freedom of the Borough”.

8.48pm – The report and recommendations were formally moved for adoption by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Stephen Cowan.

The report and recommendations were then put to the vote:

FOR:                           UNANIMOUS

AGAINST:                   0

NOT VOTING: 0

The report and recommendations were declared CARRIED.

Following the vote, speeches on the report were made by Councillors Stephen Cowan, Emma Apthorp, Laura Janes, Nicole Trehy, Bora Kwon, Patrick Walsh, and Liz Collins (for the Administration) – and Councillors Andrew Dinsmore and Alex Karmel (for the Opposition).

Beryl Foster OBE, Bear Montique OBE, and Barrie Stead addressed the Council and gave speeches of thanks.

8.48pm – RESOLVED

That the Council confer the “Freedom of the Borough” of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham” on:

Beryl Foster OBE

Beryl, one of the two founders of Advance, has been supporting domestic abuse survivors in London. She worked for Women’s Aid in many capacities until 1997 when she was seconded to the Council’s Community Safety Unit to develop the unique partnership which became the ‘Standing Together Against Domestic Violence’ (STADV) project. She established STADV as an independent charity and was instrumental in funding and running the organisation until she retired in 2013.

This award is conferred in recognition of her selfless service to preventing domestic violence and supporting survivors.

Bear Montique OBE

Bear, one of the two founders of Advance, has been supporting domestic abuse survivors in London. She headed Advance for 10 years, continually expanding and building its services for survivors. She also developed a training package for advocates that was used as the basis of what we know today as the professional accreditation. Bear played a key role in bringing the revolutionary Duluth Model to Hammersmith, which takes shifts blame and responsibility away from the victim to the community.

This award is conferred in recognition of her selfless service to preventing domestic violence and supporting survivors.

Barrie Stead

Mr Barrie Stead has been a dedicated public servant throughout his life, being an advocate for more open government and public involvement in decision-making. He has been dedicated to the promotion of, and access to, the arts in the borough, the legacy of which we still enjoy in our community today.

He was elected as a White City Councillor in 1971, a position he held for 8 years until 1978. During his time as the Leader of the Council, he enabled the founding of Riverside Studios Arts Centre, the rebuilding of the Lyric Theatre, and the acquisition of Fulham Palace. Barrie also established Age Concern (now Age UK) Hammersmith & Fulham, a charity which offers lots of services for older people and their carers in the Borough.

This award is conferred in recognition of his selfless service to the Borough.