A WEST CUMBRIAN town has celebrated a charitable end to its mayor's year in office, as they welcomed a new mayor to the town.
Town mayor of Cockermouth, Julie Laidlow, brought her year in office to an end by handing over cheques to two local charities last Wednesday evening, May 15.
Before the start of the annual meeting, Cllr Laidlow presented the Alan Smith Unsung Hero Award to Helen Todhunter from Friends of Fairfield Primary School, who has been tirelessly co-ordinating fundraising efforts towards a sensory area at the school.
The mayor’s nominated charities for this year were Cumbria Cerebral Palsy and the European Prize Scholarship Fund. Throughout the year, the mayor has raised funds at various events, culminating in the recent golf tournament hosted by Cockermouth Golf Club.
Elaine Thompson from Cumbria Cerebral Palsy and David Bertram from the European Prize Scholarship Fund both received a cheque for £1,080.85.
Ms Thompson, chair of the Board of Trustees, explained that they only have a few charity shops in the area, so donations are very important to their continued work, which is wholly within the Cumbria area.
Mr Bertram said that there were many talented children in Cockermouth and the fund was vital in helping them to further their studies abroad, providing an equal opportunity for all. After the presentation, the council meeting commenced, and a new mayor and deputy mayor were elected.
Cllr Richard Watson of South Lodge Ward in Cockermouth was elected as mayor, and named his charities for the year as West Lakes Squirrel Initiative, and Cockermouth Junior Football Club.
The deputy mayor, Cllr Gillian Telford, represents the Fitz Ward in Cockermouth.
The new mayor thanked Cllr Laidlow for her hard work during the previous year. He said that the priorities for the coming year would be community, the town centre, green open spaces, accountability, and sustainability.
He said that in recent years the demographic of the town had changed, with new people bringing new ideas. The balance that he would seek to achieve in his year as mayor would be "to embrace those new ideas, whilst retaining and enhancing those things which make Cockermouth unique and such a great place to live".
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