A FORMER teacher has revealed his desire to raise awareness of Wychavon’s work to tackle climate change after taking the chains of office at the council.
Droitwich Spa East Coun Alex Sinton became chairman of Wychavon District Council at a meeting on Wednesday (May 18) and will be supported by Coun Emma Kearsey who will be vice chairman for the year.
The devout Manchester United fan has lived in the Spa since 1999 and succeeds Evesham’s Coun Robert Raphael who has served as chairman for the past two years.
Born in Urmston in Manchester, Coun Sinton was a primary school teacher in the city for many years before joining RGS Worcester in 1989, where he remained until retiring in 2011.
“It is a great honour to be made chairman of Wychavon and I look forward to getting out and meeting more of our great communities and raising the profile of the council and the important work it performs,” he said.
“The success of Wychavon’s Intelligently Green Plan is so important for all our futures and one of the things I hope to do in my year is to promote this to schools and support the activities of their eco-councils.”
Coun Raphael reflected on an ‘amazing’ time as chairman which included the openings of the new pump track in Charity Brook Park in Evesham, the community hub at Droitwich Spa High School, Pershore Well-being Centre and the 4G sports pitch at Evesham United.
The respected councillor added he was proud to host the world premiere of Wychavon Sketches, a piece of music commissioned by Wychavon Festival of Brass to mark their 40th anniversary year.
“Of course, Covid-19 has been a significant part of my time as chairman. The early part of the pandemic was new for all of us and chairing meetings with more than 50 participants from a screen in my living room was daunting,” he said.
“I really would like to thank my colleagues, fellow councillors and officers, all of whom have been incredibly kind and understanding.
“I’ve enjoyed every second, it’s made me a better councillor and opened my eyes to the many wonderful things that go on across our district and further afield,” Coun Raphael added.
