| GO BACK TO THE MAYORS LIST | ||
| ||
Members, honoured guests, friends and neighbours - thank you.
Becoming Mayor of Sandhurst is a phenomenal honour. For someone who has lived in this town since I was two years old, it truly is the ultimate privilege. Sandhurst is the place that shaped me, the place that gave me every opportunity, and the place I am proud to call home. I know what this role means, and I know the responsibility that comes with representing our town. I will give it everything I can.
This year, I want to focus on something simple but powerful: connection, kindness, and community. Those three words will guide everything I do.
First, I want to strengthen community spirit - to build a “One Sandhurst” culture where people look out for each other, where volunteering grows, and where we celebrate the everyday heroes who make this town special. Especially at a time when technology can pull us apart as easily as it connects us, I want Sandhurst to be a place where people still look up, look out for one another, and feel part of something bigger.
Second, I want to help people understand what their local council does. Too often there is confusion or misinformation. Clear, friendly communication can build trust, and I want residents to feel confident in how the council is run.
Third, I want to inspire young people. I hope to visit every school in Sandhurst to talk about public service, democracy, and the difference young voices can make. I hope, one day, one of them will be standing here - and I want young people to see that leadership isn’t distant. It’s local, it’s real, and it’s open to them.
Fourth, I want to open the doors of local democracy. More drop ins, more Q&As, more opportunities for residents to get involved, be inspired and for them to want to be a part of it. Local government should feel human, accessible, and welcoming.
And finally, I will be supporting two charities close to my heart: Walk Once More, and Thames Hospice.
Walk Once More is a charity dedicated to supporting people living with spinal cord injuries, its founder is well known to me. It funds research, rehabilitation, and innovative therapies that help individuals regain independence and rebuild their lives. Their work is rooted in hope - the belief that with the right support, people can overcome extraordinary challenges. It’s a charity that represents resilience, determination, and the power of community standing behind those who need it most.
Thames Hospice is one of the most respected hospices in the Thames Valley, providing compassionate care for people facing life limiting illnesses. They support not only patients, but also families, offering dignity, comfort, and humanity at the most difficult moments in life. Their nurses, doctors, counsellors, and volunteers are extraordinary people - and the work they do touches countless families across Berkshire and here is Sandhurst.
Together, these two charities reflect the values I want this mayoral year to stand for: compassion, courage, and community.
Through events, challenges, and community fundraising, I hope we can make a real difference together.
I want this to be a year where Sandhurst feels closer, kinder, and more confident in its future. A year where we celebrate each other, support each other, and remind ourselves what a special place this is.
And so, I want to end with a reading that I shared at the Civic Service and that captures exactly what I believe about this town - “The Power of Community”:
Community is not built in grand gestures, but in the quiet, steady acts of people who choose to care. It grows in the greetings shared on familiar streets, in the hands that lift when someone stumbles, in the voices that speak up for fairness and kindness.
Community is the courage to show up - for remembrance, for celebration, for one another. It is the understanding that our stories are intertwined, that what strengthens one of us strengthens us all.
And so we gather, not as strangers living side by side, but as neighbours shaping a shared future.
May we continue to build a town where everyone feels seen, where dignity is offered freely, and where hope is something we create together.
Thank you - I look forward to serving you, working with you, and celebrating everything that makes Sandhurst the town we are proud to call home.