New Mayor for St Albans District to focus on caring for all
Serving and caring for all in our community’ is the theme of the new Mayor of the City and District of St Albans, Cllr Rosemary Farmer.
Cllr Farmer was made Mayor for the municipal year 2018/19 at the Annual Meeting of St Albans City and District Council on Wednesday 23 May. At the same council meeting, Cllr Brian Gibbard was appointed Deputy Mayor.
Cllr Farmer, said:
It is a huge honour to be made Mayor of St Albans City and District. I am looking forward to serving the community and representing the Council at local and civic events throughout the year.
My theme for the year is ‘Serving and caring for all in our community’. There are people in our society who are often overlooked, such as those suffering from mental health issues or who are older people living alone. They are all part of our community and we need to help them feel included and supported. As Mayor, I will be encouraging people to reach out to anyone who appears to be isolated and help ensure that they get any care and support they need.
I will also be working to raise the profile of the mental health charity Mind in Mid Herts and the services it offers, including counselling. Throughout the year I will be hosting events to raise much-needed funds for this fantastic local charity.
Chief Executive Officer for Mind in Mid Herts, Sharn Tomlinson, said:
We are delighted that the Mayor has chosen to support Mind in Mid Herts during her year in office. We are a small charity offering people access to a range of mental health services focused around prevention, recovery and social support.
Cllr Farmer has been a District Councillor for Harpenden East ward since 2012. She also sits on Harpenden Town Council and has served as Mayor of Harpenden on three separate occasions while a Town Councillor.
Cllr Farmer plays an active role volunteering in the local community. She is a Trustee of Druglink, a member of The Harpenden Trust Care Fund Committee and a Trustee of Harpenden Connect, otherwise known as the Harpenden Hopper. She is also a Governor of the Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.
Cllr Farmer will be supported in her role of Mayor of the City and District of St Albans by her sister-in-law, Susan Farmer, who will act as consort.
The Mayor will also be supported by the Deputy Mayor, Cllr Brian Gibbard and his wife Susan, as Deputy Mayoress. Cllr Gibbard has served as a District Councillor for St Stephen’s ward since May 2012 and previously held the role of Deputy Mayor for the municipal year 2013/2014.
The Mayor and Deputy Mayor will continue with their ward duties during their term of office which is for one year.
The Right Worshipful the Mayor of the City and District of St Albans, Councillor Rosemary Farmer
Contact for the Mayor’s office:
Alison Orde, the Mayor’s Civic Officer
Tel: 01727 819544, Email: mayoralty@stalbans.gov.uk
Contact for the media:
Amanda Wilkinson, Senior Communications Officer, St Albans City and District Council
Tel: 01727 819317, E-mail: amanda.wilkinson@stalbans.gov.uk
Notes:
More information about the Mayor and Deputy Mayor is available on the Council’s website.
Mind in Mid Herts is a local mental health voluntary association and charity affiliated to the national charity Mind. It aims to reduce the number of people suffering from mental health issues by helping people find support without a fear of stigma or judgement. It has four centres covering North and Mid Herts, based in Stevenage, Hertford, St Albans and Welwyn Garden City. The charity also has outreach workers that cover more rural areas, meeting with people on a one-to-one basis or bringing groups together to offer social support. The charity works in partnership with other local organisations to offer a range of services that address the overall wellbeing of individuals.