10th   Another busy week ahead – Went for my yearly blood test, blood pressure, pulse, weight and urine test at the local doctors surgery, this morning, before a training session at the Civic Centre for members of the Audit Committee and substitutes.   The Director of Governance, Mark Lambert, took us through the statement of purpose, what the Committee can do followed by the functions of both the Internal Audit and External Audit.   Approval of the Accounts, Risk Management, Corporate Governance and finally being an Independent Watchdog completed the first session.   The role of the Internal Audit was then given by the designated Head of Internal Audit, Steven Tickner, its definition, statutory requirement and core purpose was explained and how audits of the functions of the local authority are carried out.   Follow up process and reporting were identified before members questioned the officer.   A good training session for new members of the Audit Committee.

11th   My birthday – but no special occasion as the gardener was present for the weekly cutting of the grass and other general work in the Court.   In the evening I had two meetings, both at the same time but at different venues!!   There was a governor’s meeting at Scotby School to which I gave my apologies, because there was also a meeting of the City Council at the Civic Centre.  Naturally the City Council took president.   The Council meeting took the usual course of approving minutes of various committees and panel since the last meeting and reports from Portfolio Holders and the Leader; I asked the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Governance and Resources, Les Tickner, regarding the cost and funding of the note-cases that had been supplied to all councillors at the meeting, made of faux-leather and containing pen, note-pad, memory stick, rules of procedure, Code of Conduct and Planning Code of Good Practice together with the name of all Councillors, their telephone numbers, Portfolio Members and Directors and their responsibilities.

12th   An early start this morning in order to carry out the yearly  Health and Safety Audit at Scotby Junior School.   Later in the day I was present at a meeting of the County Council Community Grants Panel for Wetheral Ward of the County Council.   Their were only three applications submitted but this year there is less money in the grants  finance pot to be distributed.   Later in the evening I attended the monthly Wetheral Parish Council Meeting in the Pavilion of Wetheral Playing Field.   There were some 22 members of the public present representing the Cotehill and Cumwhinton Crusaders football teams that wished to present a petition regarding the increase in cost for the use of the Wetheral Playing field for the current year.   Although the Parish Council owns the field, the maintenance and running of the field is the responsibility of the Wetheral Playing Field Association, a separate body which has Parish Council representation on it but is completely separate.   A new Councillor was co-opted for the Durranhill Ward, Mrs Joanne Routledge and I will be her mentor for the coming year.   A further six planning applications were consulted upon as well as three tree applications.   Members reported on several meetings that they had attended since the last meeting of the Council being representatives  on outside bodies.   In the confidential part of the meeting a response to the Crusaders’ petition was approved.

14th   A meeting of the City Council Audit Committee was held in the Civic Centre at 9.15 a.m., I was present as a substitute for a fellow Councillor.   It was a very long meeting due to the change of Internal Audit  from the County Council to the City Council and the need to review the nine Internal Audit Reports, eight of which had been carried out by the County Council prior to the change and one carried out by the new Internal Auditors in a different format.    The meeting did not finish until 1 p.m. In the evening I attended a BBQ held at Warwick Hall  to celebrate the re-election of the Conservative Candidate, John Stevenson, as M.P. for Carlisle and as a “Thank you” to all the volunteers who helped by delivering leaflets, phoning supporters, filling envelopes, acting as tellers etc.