The Lunar Society and the City

There is a close and longstanding working relationship between the Lunar Society and the City of Birmingham both in the sense of the City Council and its wider meaning of our industry, commerce, heritage and culture and all that Birmingham stands for in the world.

Since its welcome re-incarnation in the 1980s, the Lunar Society has played a key role as an independent and productive forum for debate, bringing together people from a wide range of industrial, professional and scientific backgrounds to address important issues of today and tomorrow that are relevant to the present and future of our City, our Region and the world.

The global aspect is there because, true to its origins, the Lunar Society has made a major input and raised the profile here on matters concerning the wider world as, for example, the memorable focus on climate change and sustainable living amply demonstrated.

The Lunarmen - and the 'Lunar mindset' - matter every bit as much today as they did over two centuries ago when the society was originally formed.

That we have such a Society in Birmingham is very important to the country's premier city outside of the capital. It acts as a dynamic forum for its membership to asses the current complex situation with which the economy and our society are faced, and to influence both change and those things of lasting importance.

The seminar with Professor David Bailey on the state of industry and the economy, which I had the pleasure of attending, was a very good example of this. The Society's debates succeed in linking scientific, economic, social and cultural thinking and can help to catalyse actions to the benefit of the common good.

I believe that it is very important to sustain the close relationship between the Lunar Society and the City Council particularly in the current economic situation. There is considerable scope for working together to find ways to address some of the critical issues and to improve the economic prospects of the city and its people and sustain our civic future both for Birmingham and for the region.