It is a huge privilege to be the Mayor of Cheltenham at the best of times, but to be Mayor over Christmas was an absolute joy. I lost track of the number of lovely carol services I was invited to and the number of Christmas light switch-ons, but each one was very special, both for me and for all those attending. Thank you to everyone for all your hard work organising these special occasions and for making me and the Mayoress feel so welcome.

Kids Art Club celebration
I was delighted to attend the Kids Art Club celebration at The Wilson. This was an exhibition organised by Jade Fisher, one of The Wilson’s Artists in Residence, who organised a low-cost or free after-school art club for local primary children. It was great to meet the children and their parents, and to see their artwork on display.

Royal Naval Parade
I was excited to attend the Royal Naval Parade, put on by the Cheltenham Sea Cadets at their fabulous HQ in Alstone Lane. The unit has around 40 young people aged between nine and 18, and ten dedicated adult volunteers delivering nautical-based training. The parade and the events put on were a huge credit to all involved – I particularly enjoyed the game of ‘Battleships’ and chatting to many of the cadets who clearly have a great time making new friends and learning new skills.

The Mayor’s Parlour
The Mayor’s Parlour is a wonderful room within the Municipal Offices with so much history and charm, but I was surprised that very few council employees have ever visited it. I was delighted to hold a couple of coffee and mince pie sessions to chat to staff and thank them for all their hard work on behalf of our wonderful town.

CCP’s Hamper Scamper
Christmas can be a very difficult time for many and we often forget that Cheltenham has over 4,000 children growing up in poverty. I was therefore so pleased to visit the Hamper Scamper operation organised by one of my Mayor’s charities, CCP. They collect donations of food and presents from local businesses and people, then deliver them to local families. It is a huge operation, fully staffed by volunteers (many from local businesses), sorting, packing and despatching over 3,000 hampers. Thank you to everyone who supported this wonderful initiative.

It has been a fabulous year as Mayor so far, and I am looking forward to another busy few months before I hand over to the new Mayor, Councillor David Willingham, in May.

Paul