The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Kate Nicholl meets the Year 9-10 class whose letter she read out at her installation earlier this month.
The pupils of Fleming Fulton School have welcomed Belfast’s new Lord Mayor, Cllr Kate Nicholl to the school after she read a letter written by them in her inaugural address.
Fleming Fulton, situated in South Belfast, is a special educational school that teaches children and young people primarily with physical and medical needs.
During the visit, the pupils showcased work they did during the pandemic including ‘The Pandemic through our Eyes’, a photo exhibition depicting their lockdown experience in partnership with Leonard Cheshire.
The Lord Mayor also met and spoke with the Year 9 and 10 class who penned the letter to her ahead of her installation in early June. In the letter, the pupils described to the Lord Mayor how they envisioned a more inclusive and accessible Belfast which caters for those with physical disabilities more.
The Alliance Lord Mayor selected the letter as part of her initiative to give a voice to the youth of Belfast.
Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Kate Nicholl said:
“It’s been such a pleasure meeting the pupils of Fleming Fulton today. I chose to share their words when I became Lord Mayor because we need to get much better at listening to our children’s and young people’s voices in public life. That’s what will help us achieve better outcomes and opportunities for them.
“The theme for my year in office is simply ‘Our Belfast’ – I want our city to become a more inclusive, more forward-thinking and a kinder city. And input from our young advocates will be incredibly important on that journey.”
Principal of Fleming Fulton School, Karen Hancock said:
“It was really great to welcome the new Lord Mayor, Kate Nicholl to our school today. Our pupils were thrilled when she chose their letter to read during her opening speech as Mayor, so to meet her and talk more about their hopes of making Belfast more inclusive was special.
“Most of our pupils live with physical and medical needs. This means they face issues in their day-to-day lives that many would not understand. I am so proud that they were able to voice this in their letter to the Lord Mayor and advocate for a more accessible city. I would also like to thank the Lord Mayor for coming down and visiting our pupils, giving them a real boost as they end this Covid school year.”