A NEW town mayor will be appointed for Winsford, as Cllr Mike Kennedy steps down from the role next week.

The retiring town mayor has identified and reflected on his time in the position and some of the events he held over the year.

He said: “I will never forget the marvellous events, the first being the civic parade and service. I was amazed by the huge number of people taking part in the parade and totally filling St John’s Church.

“Following this, we had the unforgettable Remembrance Sunday service where, once again, the people of Winsford came together in numbers which seem to grow year on year to remember the fallen of past wars. A very poignant moment was the reading of those names by pupils from the Winsford Academy.”

Mike also referred to his successful Mayor’s Ball, which raised a significant amount for his chosen charities including St. Luke’s Cheshire Hospice.

The charitable councillor also helped establish the Chatterbox Café with the Winsford Youth and Community Forum, another chosen charity, last year.

He added: “I cannot leave talking of events without mentioning the Mayor’s Variety Show, held at Winsford Academy. There must have been over one hundred various acts on the night. My thanks go to Tim Ashcroft, staff at Innovas, and our very own songstress, Sam Lyon, for organising a great fundraiser for my two charities.”

Most recently, the mayor presented outstanding residents from Winsford with recognition for their achievements at the recent Town Oscars ceremony in April.

Cllr Gina Lewis has been selected to represent the town and will be officially instilled with her mayoral title at the upcoming town council meeting on Monday, May 21, at 7pm.

She said: “It is set to be a very interesting year when I take over as the town mayor. We have lots of special anniversaries coming up to mark and I am looking forward to making my mark on the town.”

The Over ward councillor, who will be supported by Cllr Alisa Gaskill-Jones as deputy mayor, also looks forward to making the actions and opinions of women in the community count.

Cllr Kennedy wished the current deputy mayor well in her new role, describing her as ‘a very dedicated and experienced Councillor’, as well as thanking numerous people during his time as Mayor.

He said: “My thanks to my wife and Mayoress for the year, Hilary, the staff at the Town Council and members of the public for engaging with me so willingly. To all the health, charity groups and new-found friends, I will keep in touch.”

To find out more about what the town council are doing, go to winsford.gov.uk.