Hello and welcome,

it is my great pleasure as Mayor to welcome you to the town hall.

One of the best things about this role is getting the chance to celebrate the achievements made by the citizens of this great borough.

Sometimes, these are big, loud, one-off successes. But more often than not the most powerful contributions made to our community are done quietly and determinedly over a great number of years.

And that is why I am so pleased to have you all here today as we recognise in some small way the role you have each played in making Lambeth the great place it is today as well as an even better place in the future.

Not only have you helped ensure that the next generation in this borough has been given the best possible start in life, you have played an invaluable role, in supporting the teachers and staff, who make it possible.

I cannot imagine it has always been easy. Schools and teachers are under more pressure now than any other time I can remember, and you will know far better than me the challenges brought by shrinking budgets. But for this reason alone your continuity, knowledge and experience have been invaluable. I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say, that so many of the schools represented here today could not have done it without you.

So on behalf of the Borough of Lambeth let me once again say thank you.

Thank you.