Councillor Pat Evans is to continue in her role as the Mayor of Farnham for another year along with the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Alan Earwaker.
The Mayoral changeover was scheduled to happen in May, but the normal ceremonial Mayor-making Council meeting had to be cancelled because of the restrictions which were in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Instead, councillors met via Zoom for an ordinary council meeting and agreed to ask the current Mayor and Deputy Mayor to continue in their roles until May 2021. The power to do this has been made possible by new government legislation which has been put in place since the coronavirus outbreak.
Councillor Pat Evans says: “I feel immensely honoured to have been asked to continue being the Mayor of Farnham for another year. When I was first elected as Mayor in 2019, I announced that my theme for the year would be to work with the community for the community: little did I know how appropriate this pledge would become.
“Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, I have attended the weekly Farnham COVID-19 coordinating group via video link and have heard first-hand about both the challenges people have faced and how our wonderful voluntary sector and community groups have responded to help those most in need.
“I feel very privileged and proud to have gained this insight into the fabric of Farnham and look forward to the time when it is safe to visit and thank in person the people and organisations that have made the Farnham community stronger.”
During her additional year in office, the Mayor will resume fundraising for her charities space2grow and Hale Community Centre. Both charities have provided invaluable support to local people during the crisis and will continue to play an important role in the recovery phase of the pandemic. In addition, the Mayor will be researching charities closely connected to the COVID-19 pandemic for possible financial support.
The Mayor’s husband David will continue in his role as the Mayor’s consort and the Deputy Mayor will be supported by his daughter Claire Earwaker dos Reis who was appointed in 2019 as the Deputy Mayoress.
