Mayor 'disappointed' at lack of Sinn Féin support for ‘Our Guildhall, Our Space’ motion
'No previous mayor has ever put a motion into Council congratulating themselves' - Cllr Christopher Jackson
A motion from outgoing Mayor Lilian Seenoi-Barr proposing Derry City and Strabane District Council embed her ‘Our Guildhall, Our Space’ initiative in the programmes of future mayors, has been voted down.
Ms Barr’s motion, seconded by Alderman Julie Middleton (DUP), was rejected by 19 votes to 16 at Council’s May plenary on Wednesday afternoon; Ms Seenoi-Barr’s successor as mayor will be announced at Council’s AGM on Monday, June 2.
Ald Middleton thanked Mayor Seenoi-Barr for the work she had done the year to bring young people into the Guildhall “increasing inclusivity and engaging our precious young people district wide”.
“Our district is filled with the most amazing young people who are our future workers, our future leaders, and they should absolutely be recognised as citizens now, therefore, it is really important we bring them into buildings like the Guildhall and they get the opportunity to engage with us,” said Ald Middleton.
The first of four Sinn Féin councillors who spoke against the motion, Cllr Christopher Jackson, said no previous mayor had ever put a motion into Council “congratulating themselves”.
He added: “We are extremely disappointed to see the motion in front of us today.
“As you will know, Mayor, this is your final meeting as Mayor, a meeting where we could reflect on what was largely a successful year. There have been many personal achievements by yourself throughout the year and we congratulate you on those.
“And the event you organised as part of this was widely accepted as a huge success.
“But there have been hugely successful events through the terms of previous mayors but no previous mayor has put motions into Council congratulating themselves and trying to shape the term of a future mayor,” said Cllr Jackson.
While describing ‘Our Guildhall, Our Space’ was an “excellent” initiative, Cllr Aisling Hutton (Sinn Féin) said Council should not be creating a new Youth Service “in competition with the services already out there”.
“Council should be here to support, to strengthen, and to add value to all the brilliant services and interventions that exist across this district already,” she added.
“Funding is tight and when funding is tight, collaboration is key. I think we should be collaborating more in relation to youth provision rather than duplicating.”
Cllr Grace Uí Niallais (Sinn Féin) referred to the “sustained cuts and lack of investment into adequate youth services” across the district.
“In our own DEA, Summer Intervention Funding, which directly targets those at risk of engaging in anti-social behaviour, has been cut. The Glen, Pennyburn and Rosemount received that bad news in the past couple of weeks. That is three youth clubs, with a membership of 1,000 children, who are open four nights a week and over the weekends,” she said.
“We have already seen the effects of these cuts with bus services being cut to areas and an increase in anti-social behaviour. I have no doubt this pain is being felt in every part of our district in every DEA.
“As a party, we believe that any funding coming into the district should be going to frontline youth workers who have worked hard to obtain the skills and expertise to support and engage meaningfully with our young people.
“Our local youth clubs know and understand our young people and we should be concentrating on supporting them,” said Cllr Uí Niallais.
Cllr Raymond Barr (Independent) said that he disagreed with a mayor to put an initiative onto another mayor going forward. He added that the Guildhall focus of ‘Our Guildhall, Our Space’ meant there was no scope for it to go to Strabane.
Cllr Sandra Duffy (Sinn Féin) said she understood the sentiments behind Seenoi-Barr’s motion.
“But, one of the highlights of my own Mayoral year was engaging with young people and it was going out to schools and meeting young people and having those groups coming in. I was able to do that in the way I chose, the way, as Mayor, I decided was the best way forward.
“Every Mayor coming in should be afforded the choice of using and creating their own initiative to engage with young people right across the city and district.”
Mayor Lilian Seenoi-Barr’s motion received support from Cllr Shaun Harkin, Ald Darren Guy, Cllr Martin Reilly , Alderman Derek Hussey and Ald Niree McMorris.
Summing up, Mayor Lilian Seenoi-Barr said she was “disappointed” by the Sinn Féin response to her motion.
“I worked really hard to make sure it is inclusive, it is collaborative, and centering the voices of young people in this work,” she said.
“You have all agreed that it has been very successful, that it is important, that it is centering the voices, it is bringing our young people to the Guildhall, giving them that voice but also showing them they can be leaders and then they say, ‘We cannot support it’.
“This is not about legacy. I am a youth worker and as a youth worker I give the young people that opportunity to lead and voluntarily give them their voice. I am sure all of you are working with young people and you do the same.
“300 young people asked to access the Guildhall. It wasn’t something that was shaped for them, they shaped it themselves.
“And the response for it is clear to see, that they wanted to use the Guildhall,” said Mayor Seenoi-Barr.
The full text of Mayor Seenoi-Barr’s motion read: “This Council notes the success of ‘Our Guildhall, Our Space’, introduced during the 2024/25 Mayoral term, which has engaged hundreds of young people across the district through inclusive, youth-led events in the Guildhall. The initiative promotes mental health, leadership, creativity, and civic pride, and has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from young people, families, and youth groups.
“Just as Tea Dances are an annual fixture for older people, this initiative could now be embedded in the mayor’s yearly programme to ensure meaningful engagement with young people.
“Council will work with the incoming mayor to consider embedding ‘Our Guildhall, Our Space’ in future Mayor’s programmes.
“Work with the Office of the Mayor to co-design and deliver dedicated ‘Our Guildhall, Our Space’ events as part of the mayor’s community engagement.
“Supporting the incoming mayor in the identification and securing of external funding, sponsorship, and community partnership opportunities to sustain and expand the programme.”