Lord Provost's thanks

A meeting for most of the morning of the senior management team. Then afterward, late afternoon, headed to the station for a train trip to Glasgow. The city was heaving with tourists - so much so I missed my planned train but got the next one .

The Glasgow event was a recognition gathering of those panel members and Panel Practice Advisers who had served 5, 10, 15, 25 etc years. A highlight was a panel member who had done 35 years of volunteering to help make a difference to the lives of vulnerable young people.

My Depute Elliot gave an excellent speech about recognition and change and was followed by Beth -Anne. Elliot experienced what I had felt yesterday as Beth Anne conveyed an impactful speech about her - ultimately positive -experiences of the children's hearings system ( though at the time she did not appreciate the value of the decisions that were being taken for her).

We also had two other new Board members present: Henry Robson and Lewis Ritchie who valued meeting those panel members present.

Glasgow City Council have strongly supported the Hearings system for decades and place much store on assisting the volunteers though the work of their staff, the provision of accommodation and in backing events such as this.

A special tribute was paid to Alan Hughes who stood down earlier this year as Area Convener ( another voluntary post which manages support for the 450 panel members in Glasgow). See blip of 1 June. He was thanked not only for that but also for his 35+ years of being a panel member. Although he has stood down from that leadership post he continues to support the system and has taken up another volunteering role to help ensure that the quality of the system is secured.

A signed bottle by the Lord Provost is a very welcome gesture of recognition and is greatly appreciated. But nothing can really express the gratitude of Scottish society for all that people like Alan have contributred whether they have devoted 37, 1, 3, 7, 12, 17 years or whatever. The event laid on by Glasgow City Council was nevertheless an excellent way of saying thank you.