Hull- the place to be in 2007

What an amazing year this is going to be for Hull!
Almost every week throughout the year, different events will be taking place as part of commemorations to mark 200 years since the end of the British Slave Trade.
We hope that the many concerts, lectures, exhibitions, festivals and workshops will draw attention to modern slavery, which still exists in the world today.
And I'm sure that many of us will draw inspiration from the variety of politicians, religious figures, performers and artists from across the world who'll be visiting Hull throughout the year.
As the birthplace of anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce, it's only fitting that Hull will be the focal point of commemorations across the world.
It's the place to be in 2007.
You'll find a list of what's happening under the Wilberforce 2007 programme on pages 20-23 of this issue of Hull in print.
My other hope for 2007 is that we can all stick to our New Year's resolutions.
It's about seeing through decisions that will improve our lives - just as my cabinet and I are seeing through the six pledges we made last year to help the people of Hull.
One of those was to make the city safer, and this month Hull in print brings you details of specific crime-prevention projects being funded by our £1 million per year Community Safety Fund (see pages 12-13).
Some of us may have made resolutions to take up studying or extra learning in order to gain qualifications to improve our job prospects.
And New Year is the perfect time for that, as many college and university courses start this month.
On pages 14 and 15 of this issue, you can read about the launch of our £400,000 per year Skills Fund and how it will help employers provide new skills and training for their staff.
That's another of our pledges.
In the meantime, I leave you to explore the pages of Hull in print and enjoy some of the other success stories from this amazing city of ours.

Cllr Carl Minns
Leader, Hull City Council