ON Monday I had a meeting with Margaret Jones, grants and fundraising manager for the Friends of Fort Royal School.

Back in 2019 the school was successful in securing National Lottery funding for an innovative new IT project.

The school is working alongside Collar & Tie – a company specialising in creative learning and technology. The company is developing an app that will help the pupils to explore places of interest around the city including the Hive, Worcester Cathedral, the Riverside and canal basin, Fort Royal Hill, and the Guildhall.

Collar & Tie’s Max Dean explained how the app will work. It is a cross between an interactive audio-visual guide you would find at a visitor attraction, and the Pokémon Go game. The Guildhall element will include a narrative given by me, all dressed up in my mayoral robes.

One of my roles as a city councillor is to be a council nominee on outside bodies; I have been on the committee of Worcester Arts Council for a few years now.

We were finally able to meet in person at Perdiswell Young People’s Centre on Wednesday. The Arts Council is supported by Worcester City Council and provides grants to its membership, which comprises locally based organisations and individuals involved in the arts. It is always open to new members. We’ve given grants to support several events that will be happening in our city over the coming months.

I was hoping to meet the Canon Precentor Dr Michael Brierley at the Cathedral this week to discuss the Civic Service that was intended to happen on July 11. However, due to the delayed removal of Covid restrictions until 19 July, our meeting has been put back.

My mayoral theme is “coming together” – and hopefully when do hold the Civic Service we can have a full cathedral, with people able to join in and sing Congregational hymns.