Mayor and Mayoress Councillors Tom and Sonja Wilson
The Mayor of Nuneaton and Bedworth is elected by their fellow councillors at the Annual Meeting of the Borough Council and Mayor Making Ceremony held in May of each year. The position is held for one year. The Mayor is normally a councillor of long standing or one who has made a significant contribution to the borough.
The Mayor's main function is to act as Chair of full council meetings, and as chair, ensures that proceedings are conducted in a fair and proper manner. The Mayor is also First Citizen of the Borough for their year in office representing the Council at public functions and at social, civic and ceremonial events, both in the borough and further afield.
The Mayor also acts as an ambassador for the community, acting as a figurehead for local appeals and events. Each year the Mayor of Nuneaton and Bedworth pledges their support to a charity (or charities) of their choice. All monies raised at special events held during the year are donated to the Mayor's Appeal. This year's Mayor's Appeal is for The Meningitis Trust and for the Chilvers Coton and Parsonage Heritage Centres.
The Mayor for the Mayoral Year 2009-2010 is Councillor Tom Wilson, the Mayoress is Councillor Sonja Wilson.
If you would like more information or further details of the Mayor's Appeal 2009/2010, or if you would like to make a donation, please contact :
The Co-ordinator of the Mayor's Appeal
Pat Bowles
Pat Bowles
02476342723
Please make cheques payable to: The Mayor's Appeal 2009/2010
Meningitis Trust
The Mayor, Councillor Tom Wilson writes on the Mayor's Appeal.
"Making a choice of which good cause I wished to support in my Mayoral Year is something I have given much time to. There are so many causes, all worthwhile and all needing help and support.
My main appeal will be The Meningitis Trust. This decision was easy for me to make. Our own son Kenneth was rushed to the George Eliot Hospital in 1992 with this disease, which strikes silently and without warning. The next week was without doubt the worst week of our lives. We were unable to anything but pray, hope and be there. We thought we had lost Kenneth three times in an awful 6 day period. Miraculously Kenneth pulled through with no lasting effects. Others have not been so lucky, some losing limbs, some their sight and some their hearing. So this is an opportunity to “payback” by raising awareness of Meningitis and helping those affected by this insidious disease.
All monies raised will be used within the borough for the benefit of the residents of the borough.
However, as I reflected I knew in my mind I wished to do something towards a greater awareness of our proud heritage. We take our past for granted without reflection on how it has influenced the present day and the need to preserve artefacts and buildings for future generations. Therefore I have chosen to help generate much needed funds for preserving our Heritage in both towns by linking all heritage societies together in a joint fund raising project by way of lapel badges. John Burton of the Bedworth Parsonage Project is our co-ordinator on this initiative.
I also wish to raise awareness of the difficulties that sufferers of hearing impairment and deafness have to contend with every day of their lives. Some 75% of under 55s are effected by hearing impairments and we need to make signing more accessible and my campaign will be to raise awareness and to encourage people to learn signing. In 1966 it was discovered that I had a perforated right eardrum, caused it was said, by school boy tomfoolery. It has been a disadvantage to me all my adult life so I know and understand how hearing impairments can effect a sufferers quality of life.
Sonja and I hope that you will support our good causes during our Mayoralty and with your help we can make a real difference."
