On Monday 19th October 2015, the London Borough of Wandsworth, celebrated its links to the UN as part of UNA-UK's It's our UN initiative.
Wandsworth's journey of discovery culminated in the Mayor's parlour, at the Town Hall, where Cllr Leslie McDonnell, Deputy Mayor of Wandsworth, was presented with a special commemorative edition of the UN Charter.
Taking part in the presentation were Richard Nelmes (UNA-UK), Wandsworth council officers and local UNA members, from Putney and Roehampton.
Richard Nelmes opened the occasion by noting the relevance and role of the UN for todays world, not just in distant places but for our own communities. Ian Donoghue shared a number of the connections that he discovered Wandsworth has to the UN. Rob Story, Chair of Putney and Roehampton UNA, talked briefly about the ongoing work of local UNAs, and the value of local connections with councils and others able to champion this work.
Speaking from his own military background, the Deputy Mayor spoke of the occasion and the work of the UN as "So cruicial and so important", and how we "take the UN for granted". The Deputy Mayor also highlighted aspects of UN work and how most of it goes on unseen and uncelebrated, but expressed his respect, honour and thanks for the work that it does.
Promising to find a prominent place to display the charter, he invited closer links between the UNA and the Mayor's office.