A busy day, which, along with 'day job' activities, also included :* Visits to our four West End Primary Schools (Ancrum Road, Blackness, Park Place and St Joseph's) to deliver pencil cases (a free gift to each P7 pupil from our sponsor) and drawing templates for the 'fireworks safety' colouring competition that primary 7 pupils are taking part in as part of this year's West End Christmas Week.
Each P7 pupil is drawing a fireworks safety sticker and there will be one winner per class (who each win a book voucher, kindly sponsored by Borders Books) and the overall winner will have her or his drawing produced into 1500 stickers to be distributed to all primary-age children in the West End. It is both a fun competition and will help reinforce the 'safety with fireworks' message.
West End Christmas Week - West End Xmas Factor '09 - is taking great shape and we're very pleased at the continued support from our local schools.
* I thereafter met with three University of Dundee students who are working on a project to encourage those who want to start growing their own fruit and vegetables in Dundee. I'm really keen to support their initiative and it was a very useful meeting.
* Two surgeries late afternoon - Mitchell Street Centre and Harris Academy.
* At tonight's City Council, there was a debate on the financial challenges facing the City Council and the 2010/11 and future years' budgets. I support all-party co-operation to tackle the very significant budgetary problems the council must tackle. Protecting jobs and public services must take priority over party politics.
* Thereafter, I attended the latter half of the River Crescent Residents' Association committee meeting. The committee does great work for the residents locally and I was able update them on a number of local matters - including the Harris Academy refurbishment, roads condition concern and smell issues from Riverside Civic Amenity Site.