Firstly, I would like to thank and congratulate the outgoing Mayor, Cllr Miss Claire Needs, for all her hard work during her year in office, and for her kind words in last week’s column. She will be a hard act to follow, but I will certainly do my best to represent this wonderful Town of ours, alongside the new Deputy Mayor, Cllr Paul Wells.
A little bit about me, I’m 62 years old, married with a grown-up son, and have lived in and around Bognor Regis all my life. I’ve worked in a business with my husband for over 30 years and I became a Parish Councillor in 2012 following the serious flooding experienced that summer and have been an Arun District Councillor for the past 6 years. My hobbies include gardening, swimming and reading and I am passionate about nature and wildlife and want to do my bit to support biodiversity.
My Mayor’s Cadet for the year will be Cadet First Class Harvey McGarhey, who was chosen by the leaders at Bognor Regis Sea Cadets due to his focus and dedication, and willingness to always give his all to the task at hand. I’m looking forward to getting to know Cadet McGarhey more through the year, as we attend civic events together.
I will be supporting two charities throughout my tenure, Stonepillow and My Sister’s House both of whom are extremely worthy and local causes, and I hope to be able to raise awareness and funds for them, over the next twelve months. You can find out more about their work and ways to donate, through their websites: www.stonepillow.org.uk and www.mysistershouse.info.
I’m hoping to hit the ground running as they say, with lots of engagements and events planned for the coming weeks, it certainly looks like May is a busy month in the Mayoral calendar! Already, I’ve been invited to attend a photocall for the ‘official’ unveiling of the Esplanade, following the completion of the Public Realm Improvements and later in the week, I look forward to meeting with members of the Bognor Regis Twinning Association, for a Reception, welcoming our friends from Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, who have been enjoying a visit to our Town, culminating in a Reception, organised by the Twinning Association to bid them ‘Bon Voyage’!
Of course, this Sunday sees the annual Bognor Prom 10K Road Race and Junior Fun Run. The main race starts by West Park in Aldwick and follows the Bognor Regis Esplanade, continuing through Felpham before returning along the seafront to finish in West Park. I will be cheering on the runners as they reach the finish line and am honoured to have been asked to help present prizes and offer words of congratulations.
I wanted to end my first column by thanking my fellow Town Councillors for their support and belief in me and I am extremely excited to serve my Town through this role, and to meeting the inspirational members of our community during the year.