Friday 21st June saw Cllr Alexander Chase officially take on the office of the Mayor of Shaftesbury in a ceremony that was open to everyone. Embracing inclusivity, the event was designed to be accessible to the entire community, highlighting our collective spirit. It also shone a spotlight on this year’s chosen Mayor’s charity, The Brave and Determined Company (Bad Co), which we’re all excited to support.
successful evening for the mayor making ceremony
Conor Smith Official kicked off the event, performing in his councillor robes! Mayor’s Charity Bad Co served up drinks at the pop-up bar and Hidden Pizza fired up the woodfired oven to dish up delicious pizza. The crowd was a heart warming mix of the community, councillors, and invited guests from other towns. Tom Clements Music played us out to celebrate our new Mayor taking office.
The Town Clerk led the ceremony inside the Guild Hall, where Cllr Andy Hollingshead explained why he had nominated Cllr Alexander Chase as Mayor for 2024-25. The retiring Mayor, Cllr Virginia Edwyn-Jones addressed the audience, discussing the highlights of her term as Mayor. During the traditional ceremony, the new Mayor, Cllr Alexander Chase dressed in his robes and received his chains of office. He then read the statutory Declaration of Office and signed, witnessed by the Town Clerk.
Raising money for the Mayor’s Charity
The event was the first in a year of fundraising for chosen Mayor’s Charity, The Brave and Determined Company. The charity is dedicated to funding counselling for those struggling with mental health challenges. Their work not only helps those who cannot afford counselling otherwise, it helps to ease the stress on NHS services that are already overstretched. In an earlier statement, The Mayor, Cllr Alexander Chase said, “Adam and Adam have a great vision for their work and a plan for the future that is incredibly exciting and deserves our support. We are looking forward to working with them over the next year to raise money and awareness for their fantastic work.”
At the event, fifty pence from every pizza sold was generously donated by Hidden Pizza, along with all the profits from the Bad Co bar. The evening raised an incredible £275 which will added to the Mayor’s Charity donation next year.
The Mayor, Cllr Alexander Chase remarked, “It was a privilege to have the public join us for the mayor making last week. Feedback has been really encouraging that this new twist on an ancient ceremony has captured the imaginations of many. One aspect that worked particularly well was having the Brave and Determined Company running the bar! We’ll be working to raise money for them across this next year and last Friday was a great start. We’re all looking forward to seeing them at our next event!”
