Councillor Laing (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care, Culture and Communications) gave the following updates:

a)    The Box and Mount Edgcumbe had been awarded a 2024 Trip Advisor Travellers Choice Award which meant that they were in the top 10% of attractions worldwide;

b)    There had been over 800,000 for The Box, with over 60% being from Plymouth;

c)    The Box had a new summer show called ‘The Time Is Always Now’ and was an international blockbuster and there were ten things that were highlighted:

i) ‘The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure’ was an internationally touring exhibition which included work from some of the most important living artists from Britain and America;

ii) The exhibition was a major study of the Black figure and its representation in contemporary art;

iii) It had been organised by the National Portrait Gallery and curated by writer Ekow Eshun who was the former assistant editor of ‘The Face’ and former editor of ‘Arena Magazine’ and was the current Chair of the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square;

iv) The exhibition was displayed at the National Portrait Gallery earlier in 2024 and received a number of four and five star reviews from national art critics;

v) The Box was the only location outside of London where the exhibition could be seen in the UK;

vi) The exhibition opened on Saturday 29 June 2024 and would stay until Sunday 29 September 2024, and had attracted over 3000 visitors alone in its opening weekend;

vii) The exhibition would start in St Luke’s church before continuing in North Hall (ground floor), North Gallery and Hurdle Gallery (first floor) in The Box’s main building;

viii) It featured 46 works of sculpture, painting and drawing by 22 artists from the UK and USA, all of which had been made between 2000 and 2023;

ix) In London the exhibition was a paid-for show but at The Box it was free for everyone to visit;

x) It would travel to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, USA after it’s showing in Plymouth.

Councillor Penberthy (Cabinet Member for Housing, Co-Operative Development and Community) gave the following updates:

d)    Saturday 6 July 2024 marked the International Day of Co-Operatives;

e)    PCC were proud to be a Co-Operative Council and worked hard to grow Plymouth’s Co-Operative economy;

f)     Co-Operatives empowered people by offering them greater control over their jobs, livelihoods and the businesses they work for, as well as giving control to the people who used the businesses;

g)    Co-Operatives kept money in the local economy and ensured everyone benefits from economic growth;

h)    Co-Operatives were firmly woven into the fabric of Plymouth’s economy were recognised in PCC’s strategy as a good growth model;

i)     In 2018, PCC launched a plan to support the development of Co-Operatives in Plymouth, and a recent review by Co-Operatives UK, indicated that there had been notable success;

j)     Since 2018 there was growth of 43% of Co-Operatives headquartered in Plymouth compared to national growth of 5%;

k)    There was 127% growth in employment within these Co-Operatives compared to national growth of 6%;

l)     Following the General Election, the new Government was committed to doubling the size of the Co-Operative and Mutual economy by addressing key legislative issues and barriers;

m)  Plymouth was in a good place to aid the Government through local actions such as building knowledge and capacity;

n)    The Government had also spoken about the role that the Great British Energy would have to partner with local energy Co-Operatives;

o)    PCC had key learning and opportunities though their partnership with Plymouth Energy Community (PEC);

p)    PEC were a Co-Operative which was delivered because of PCC’s Manifesto commitments in 2012;

q)    The team from PEC had met with Ed Milliband and his team, and PCC wanted to build on those discussions to further the green agenda in Plymouth;

r)    Research found Plymouth was positioned as a national leader in the development of support of the Co-Operative Movement and PCC were committed to cementing and building on that by demonstrating the power of Co-Operative enterprises for a better future. This exemplified the readiness to support the Government in achieving its ambitions for the Co-Operative Movement;

s)     A new iteration of the action plan to support Plymouth’s Co-Operative economy and its development would be launched later in 2024.

Councillor Dann (Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Sport, Leisure & HR and OD) gave the following updates:

t)     Congratulated a former member of staff, Louise Kelly, for being awarded an MBE in the King’s birthday honours list. Louise had worked for the council for 34 years where she dedicated to making sure that young people at school, and those with extra special complex needs, did not go hungry and remained active during the school holidays;

u)    PCC and Louise Kelly MBE used to Fit and Fed programme to work with families and organisations to ensure what was offered across Plymouth was accessible for all;

v)    A brochure had been sent to schools outlining the Fit and Fed programme for summer 2024 which would be provided for people eligible for free school meals, people who had looked after children with extra care educational plans, young carers, children of recognised refugees, children from asylum seeking families and home educated children;
 

w)   There were over 85 holiday clubs which covered children up to 11, and there was a young teen section and a section for people with special educational needs; all of which were free and accessible;

x)    In summer 2023, PCC offered 24,000 places for young people across the city at holiday clubs;

y)    There was additional work happening through libraries and the Plymouth Family Hubs;

z)    The cost of living was still a crisis for young people, children and families who without these schemes would not have support during the school holidays;

aa)  Four Fit and Fed events had happened in Central Park, Victoria Park, Tot Hill Park and Ernesettle Green in 2024.

Councillor Cresswell (Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Apprenticeships) gave the following updates:

bb)Skills Launchpad Plymouth and the National Marine Park had teamed up to offer young people the chance to take part in immersive and interactive activities run by local employers to find out more about the kills and future careers in the city’s green and blue economies;

cc)  The Big Splash event at Tinside Lido would welcome secondary schools and youth groups to engage with the local environment and marine and construction employers who would showcase the work they do through hands-on activities;

dd) The Big Splash event was funded by the Youth Investment Fund and the primary aim was to inspire the next generation to consider careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Maths (STEAM);

ee)8 June 2024 marked the 300 anniversary of the birth of John Smeaton who designed the third Eddystone lighthouse, better known as Smeaton’s Tower;

ff)    Throughout June, Building Plymouth hosted nearly 400 local primary school children to visit Smeaton’s Tower where they met modern civil engineers and learnt more about John Smeaton;

gg)  Working with The Box, the Institute of Civil Engineers and the University of Plymouth, school grounds were hosted at Smeaton’s Tower with the aim of inspiring children to understand more about Plymouth’s major civil engineering projects, both past and present, and learn about the importance of the role and career pathways into civil engineering.