Learning lessons from rugby success

I would like to congratulate both Hull Kingston Rovers and Hull FC - Rovers for their promotion into Super League and FC for reaching the Grand Final. Hull is now the only city in the country to have two teams in the Super League. Through their efforts they have made Hull the rugby league capital of Britain.
The renewed rivalry between KR and FC through local derbies will no doubt be passionate - and will drive up standards of play even higher.
To drive up standards and be the best is also something which Hull's local businesses are striving for.
And I'm delighted to announce that the Skills Fund, which we promised in May, has now been set up. It will provide £400,000 over the next year to help local businesses pay for extra training for their employees, so they may compete more effectively in the marketplace and help boost the local economy.
You can read more about that on page 14.
Another fund which we've just launched is the Community Safety Fund, which will provide £1 million over the next year for crime prevention schemes across the city. The money could be spent on installing CCTV cameras in crime black spots, or on better street lighting to deter muggers, or on security gates and fencing around community buildings, or on schemes to combat antisocial behaviour.
Ultimately it will be you, the people of Hull, who decide where the money is spent - and I encourage community associations and neighbourhood watch groups across the city to highlight possible projects to their local councillors and area committees (their contact details are in the back of this magazine).
It's all about working together as a team, being committed and dedicated to our cause, and believing that we can achieve our goals.
These are skills we can learn from our rugby teams.
In the meantime, I'll leave you with this, the latest issue of Hull in print, and hope you will enjoy reading more about the city's success stories.

Cllr Carl Minns
Leader, Hull City Council