New mayors for Barry, Cowbridge and Penarth
Cowbridge:
A new Mayor for Cowbridge
May is traditionally the month when new Mayors take office in the Vale, and Cowbridge was no exception. Cllr John Andrew was confirmed as the town’s Mayor. Here is his report:
During May, I was honoured to be installed as the Mayor of Cowbridge with Llanblethian Town Council at the traditional Mayor Making ceremony in the council chamber of Cowbridge Town Hall.
Present at the ceremony were the Lord Lieutenant, High Sheriff, Mayor of the Vale of Glamorgan, Mayor of Llantwit Major, Mayor of Penarth, fellow councillors, past Mayors of Cowbridge and representatives of the community. For the first time, guests were able to view the ceremony online and I was pleased to see not only local residents but also people viewing from as far afield as Aberdeen in the USA.
It is an honour and a privilege to be the Mayor of a town which received its first charter in 1254 and in which the role of Mayor can be traced back to 1681. As I said in my acceptance speech, the role of Mayor has two aspects. One is ceremonial, representing the town at civic events and maintaining the historic traditions. The other is to lead the council in representing the community and working with that community to look after and improve the town.
During the ceremony I was pleased to announce that Anna, my wife, has agreed to be Mayoress. I also announced the two charities which I will be supporting during my year are Barnardo’s and Atal y Fro. The Mayoress and I decided that we wanted to support charities which help children who are growing up in difficult circumstances – particularly local children. Barnardo’s is of course a national charity but we will be raising money in conjunction with the Cowbridge Barnardo’s Helper Group for Barnardo’s work in the Vale. The Cowbridge Barnardos Helper Group was started at about the time that the Queen came to the throne, so it is perhaps an apt choice in this Queens Platinum Jubilee year. It is also a happy coincidence that the Lord Lieutenant is the chair of the Cowbridge Barnardo’s Helper Group.
Atal y Fro translates to Prevention in the Vale. It started in 1993 as Vale of Glamorgan Women’s Aid but in 2009 changed its name to Atal y Fro. It supports those affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence.
Following my acceptance speech it was my pleasant duty to propose a vote of thanks for the retiring Mayor, Siân Vaughan. In Siân’s 10 years as a town councillor she has been Mayor for three, which I think must be some sort of a record. After all the stresses of the last two years, Siân has decided to step down from the council completely, a decision which we very much regret but do understand. Sian certainly deserves some time off, some holidays and time with her family. She has been a very hard-working and conscientious Mayor and I sincerely hope that at some time in the future She will seek to rejoin the council.
In her response Siân mentioned some of the highs and lows of her time as Mayor including highlighting some of the nastiness and unpleasantness that she has sadly been subjected to by a small number of individuals – including some former councillors. After the ceremony, a number of people, particularly women, praised her for speaking out.
The next evening, the annual meeting of the Council was reconvened primarily to agree the composition of committees and meeting dates. Since then, efforts have been focused on organising the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend events. The council is also progressing the recruitment of a Deputy Town Clerk and Town Hall Officer – there have been a good number of applicants and we hope to have these posts filled soon.
Barry:
New Mayor takes helm at Barry Town Council.
Barry Town Council held its annual meeting at Cemetery Approach Community Centre recently.
The annual meeting is held over two days, with a formal meeting to elect the new Town Mayor and Deputy Town Mayor on the first day.
Cllr Helen Payne was elected as Barry Town Mayor for the 2022/23 municipal year, with Cllr Ian Johnson elected at Deputy Town Mayor. The Mayor’s chosen charities for her year in office will be @youngmindsuk @llamau_uk and @vale_people_1st
The meeting was also an opportunity for the retiring Mayor, Councillor Wiliam to announce the final amount raised during his year in office. Barry Dock RNLI, Vale Foodbank and Tŷ Hafan will share £1,766.
Penarth:
New Mayor at Penarth Town Council
The new Mayor of Penarth is Cllr Laura Rochefort, who is a Labour member for Cornerswell.
Cllr Melissa Rabaiotti, of the Plymouth ward, was elected as this year’s Deputy Town Mayor at the same meeting.
At the meeting, Cllr Rochefort thanked outgoing Mayor Cllr Ian Buckley and his Consort Samantha Buckley, saying: “I think we would all agree he has done an amazing job and has been truly involved in the community, whilst also adding fun and wit to every meeting.”
Cllr Rochefort said: “Penarth is a beautiful place to live, and our community is an essential part of that beauty. Once again, thank you for the nomination, it is a great privilege, and I’ll do my best as your new Mayor.”
Cllr Ian Buckley said: “I would like to thank Laura for not only her kind words but also all the support she has given me as Deputy Town Mayor over the past year. Despite losing half the year to Covid restrictions and purdah, I’ve still had a busy year. With the help of the community, I managed to raise £8156.26p for my chosen charities, Woody’s Lodge and Amelia Trust Farm.”
For her Mayoral term, Cllr Rochefort has chosen to raise money for Marie Curie Hospice.
The Town Mayor’s first civic engagement was the lighting of the Jubilee beacon last Thursday (2nd June) at the Cliff Tops followed by a special fireworks display.
🌟 This article first appeared in the printed edition of the Glamorgan Star on 02.05.22
| Scroll down to comment on this article
• | Council Leader unveils new Vale Council cabinet
Pencoed tangled up by ‘Seaweeds’
Primary school’s former deputy head is banned from teaching
I make no apologies for calling Plaid Cymru ‘separatists’
‘The importance of participation and continued learning’
Opposition leaders clash with First Minister over independence rally
How Kevin saved a stranger’s life
| Scroll down to comment on this article
