Friends, colleagues, civic dignitaries, and valued guests,
Serving as your Town Mayor over the past twelve months has been not only a great honour but also one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
Being mayor has brought me into contact with so many wonderful people and organisations. It’s given me a unique window into the incredible richness and diversity of our town – our little town with the big heart. From care homes to community groups, from high school students to local shop owners, every encounter has been a pleasure and privilege.
I would like to take a few moments to reflect on the past year and to thank the many people who have made it so special.
To begin with, I would like to express my gratitude to my fellow town councillors for placing their trust in me to represent Congleton as Mayor. Your confidence and support have meant a great deal. It has been a pleasure to work alongside you and to chair our council meetings, which I have been full of lively debate, diverse viewpoints, and, importantly, conducted with respect. Our shared commitment to the wellbeing of Congleton has always been at the heart of our deliberations.
One of the many joys of being mayor has been the opportunity to represent Congleton in our neighbouring towns. I am delighted to see many civic friends from those places here tonight. We have forged warm friendships and exchanged valuable ideas about how best to serve our respective communities. These relationships have grown stronger this year, and I hope they will continue to flourish for many years to come.
Throughout the year, together with my consort, Mike, and mayor’s cadet, Barney, I have enjoyed a wealth of musical and theatrical performances. Time and again, I’ve been amazed by the talent we have right here in Congleton. Whether at the Town Hall or at Daneside Theatre, the standard of the performances would rival those on the stages of London or Manchester. Thank you to all the performers, production teams and organisers who invited us and made us feel so welcome.
Our first major civic occasion was the Mayor’s Parade and Civic Service. Staying true to my theme of inclusion, we extended invitations to a wide variety of community groups, charities, youth organisations, and local businesses. The turnout was fantastic, and I am incredibly grateful to all who participated. A special thanks goes to our inspiring speakers who contributed to a truly uplifting and thought-provoking service. Your words resonated deeply and set the tone for the year ahead.
At the start of the year we had the honour of celebrating the 100th birthday of our beloved War Memorial Hospital. It has touched all of our lives, and many of our residents were born there. Thanks to all the amazing staff who make it such a special place, especially with its new diagnostic centre this year, and thanks to our town council events team who threw the party in the park to celebrate this milestone.
The War Memorial hospital is just one place where our many gardening volunteers have been active this year, and they were rewarded with yet another InBloom Gold award. Congratulations to all those brilliant people who make Congleton so beautiful. Towards the end of the year, the Tree Group completed its goal of planting 30,000 trees in Congleton – one for every resident. This is an amazing legacy for our planet that will outlive us all – and we are deeply indebted to the hundreds of people who helped make this happen.
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some of our oldest residents, including a few centenarians. Their stories and life experiences are treasures, and I’ve learned a great deal from our conversations, whether at home or here in the Town Hall at special events like the Christmas Tea Dance or our VE Day celebrations. I want to extend my gratitude to those who work in the care sector – your expertise, dedication, and professionalism have a profound impact on the lives of so many people in our community. My thanks also go to Cathy Dean and the Congleton Partnership for working alongside the Council to support these events.
Equally inspiring has been my time with Congleton’s young people. I’ve had the pleasure of hosting Cubs, Brownies, Guides, and Scouts for tours of the Town Hall, where they’ve learned about our heritage and the workings of local government. Their energy, curiosity, and thoughtful questions filled me with optimism about the future. Thank you to the youth leaders who make these visits possible, and to Mark Worthington and the Town Hall team for helping bring these tours to life as well as set up the hall for so many terrific events, including our mayor-making this evening.
In fact, young people have been at the heart of much of what I’ve tried to focus on this year. At Congleton High School, Barney and I have worked with students to re-ignite the idea of a Youth Council. We spoke to students from Years 7 through 12 and were encouraged by their enthusiasm and creative ideas, and Eaton Bank are also interested. I am excited to see how this initiative develops.
Our high schools have also been a powerful allies in our efforts to promote healthy relationships through the White Ribbon campaign. Students and staff took part in our film alongside representatives from the police, fire service, local businesses, and our MP and PCC. This became part of the national White Ribbon Day campaign, and I’m grateful to Congleton-based Prickly Peach Films for producing such a professional and impactful piece of work.
Special thanks must also go to the White Ribbon Ambassadors and Champions whose commitment to raising awareness of gender-based violence has been tireless. From giving presentations to supporting anti-spiking campaigns in local pubs, their work is helping make Congleton a safer place.
Over the course of the year, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed joining in with many family-friendly events – from play days in the summer to Witchy Wednesday at Halloween, from children’s activities at the Food and Drink Festival to the magical moment of switching on the Christmas lights. Many thanks to Rachel McCarthy, the Events Team and the volunteers who create so many free, accessible, and joyful activities that bring our community together and support our town centre.
Speaking of the town centre, I was pleased to introduce the new High Street Awards this year. These celebrate local businesses that have stood the test of time. The first recipients were the Congleton Chronicle, Davenports Menswear, and also Jantex, who turn 50 this year. Congratulations to them.
Another initiative important to me has been the work of our Equal Access Group. Working with them, we launched a scheme to award “Disability Welcome” status to businesses making their premises more accessible. With nearly 90% of disabled residents reporting difficulty accessing shops, this programme is both important to them and beneficial to business. Thanks to Dr Deborah Lawson and all the volunteers in the Equal Access Group – your lived experiences have guided our Disability Action Plan, helped improve accessibility at town events, and made a real difference to Congleton people.
Inclusion was the driving force behind the “Pride in Leadership” event, which I co-hosted with Body Positive. Civic leaders and Pride organisers from across the region came together to explore ways of making our towns more inclusive. I’m thrilled that the Lord Mayor of Chester has agreed to host this event next year. And of course, thanks to Congleton Pride – one of my Mayor’s Charities – for all the work you do to support the LGBTQIA+ community in our town.
I have also supported two other exceptional charities this year: Ruby’s and MyCWA. With Ruby’s, we organised a sponsored winter walk at Astbury Mere for SEND children and their families, complete with fun, nature-based activities. Their work in supporting families affected by special educational needs is so important. Thank you Ruby’s.
MyCWA does equally critical work in tackling domestic abuse. Their efforts in prevention, intervention, and recovery are nothing short of life-changing. I organised a sponsored walk right around Congleton in support myCWA. Thank you myCWA for all you do for our families.
And speaking of fundraisers, a special shout-out to Barney for roping Mike and I into the Rotary Swimathon – and then basically carrying the rest of our team as he is a championship swimmer! Thanks also to Rotary for allowing us to light the bonfire this year – amazing!
Thanks to everyone’s generosity and community spirit, we’ve raised over £12,000 this year for these charities. I am so grateful to all who donated or participated.
On my sponsored walk I also joined in Congleton Museum’s “Our Disappearing Nature” project – tracking local flora and comparing it with a 1915 catalogue. This effort linked us with the global City Nature Challenge along with cities from Los Angeles to Sydney. Many thanks to the team at the Museum for putting Congleton on this world map!
To recognise our incredible volunteers, I was proud to launch the Mayor’s Civic Awards this year. These celebrated individuals supporting our environment, wellbeing, and community, and those who quietly make a difference every day. Being in the presence of the finalists and award recipients was a humbling experience. Congratulations to them all.
There are a few people I want to thank. Our new Mayor Councillor Robert Brittain – thank you for deputising at civic events and also for supporting many of my own activities and initiatives. I know you are well-prepared to take up the mantle, and that you and Sue will do an excellent job. Good luck in your mayoral year.
Many thanks to Chief Officer David McGifford for your guidance and leadership for both me and the Council. You keep us on the straight and narrow and have always been there when I need a five-minute chat!
And now I must thank a very special person: our Civic Officer Debbie Coxon. Debbie, your leadership has delivered this marvellous civic year. You work at incredible speed, stay calm in adversity, manage to keep a straight face at some of my wilder ideas, and you made a very high workload look easy. Your partnership has contributed so much to making this a special year for Mike, Barney and I. Thank you.
I’d like to thank my consort, Mike, who has supported me as mayor as he has with everything! Having stated he’s an introvert and not very good at talking to strangers, he’s actually done a fine job and has got along well with everyone we have met. We threw ourselves into it and accepted every possible invitation, and now we can get ready for a posh do in 10 minutes flat! Mike has been the driver, the photographer and the bodyguard, but more than that, with both resilience and good humour, he’s been the best possible companion on this mayoral journey, as he’s been for more than 35 years as my partner. Thank you Mike.
Now I must say thank you to a special person – my Mayor’s Cadet, Barney Mitcheson. Barney, as we’ve heard, is a good swimmer, but that is just one of his talents. He’s an accomplished pianist, a top student, and a leader both for the Scouts and at his school.
But more than this, Barney is an amazing person to have around. He has the empathy and intelligence to be able to talk to anyone about anything, he is kind and thoughtful, and at times very funny! He’s an incredible human being and we’ve had a great time!
Thank you, Barney, for being my cadet, and I hope you will have some special memories of our year together.
To the people of Congleton – thank you for welcoming me into your homes, businesses, activities, schools, and celebrations. Thank you for the warmth, friendship and community spirit of ‘the little town with the big heart’. It has been the greatest honour to serve you as your Town Mayor.
Thank you.
22 May2025
The Equality Party 