THE RE-ELECTED Mayor of Evesham has delivered a plea for the community to come together in the face of ‘unprecedented division and hostility’ in the Vale and further afield.
Coun Mark Goodge made the plea after he was re-elected to serve as the town’s first citizen for a third civic year in an unanimous vote from his fellow town councillors at the 415th annual mayor making ceremony at Evesham Town Hall on Monday (May 13).
The Bengeworth councillor became just the third in Evesham Town Council’s recent history to take on the role for a second time last year after Ronald Cartwright, Diana Raphael and Coun Robert Raphael.
Ronald Stow, Steven Selby, Fred Kaler and Jim Bulman all served as Mayor for two successive years while Coun
Goodge now joins Coun Alan Booth, who served a three-year term between 2007 and 2010, as the longest serving Mayor of the town.
Coun Booth proposed Coun Goodge to serve a further term and speaking after his election, the re-elected Mayor of Evesham said: “We live in times of almost unprecedented division and hostility.
“We have a duty to not let that defeat us. My plea to everyone is to come together around the things which unite us, the community, the many local groups in the town.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting people from across a whole range of businesses, community groups, clubs and charities and will do all I can to support you,” he added.
Coun Goodge welcome the new faces who were elected to serve as town councillors and reserved a special tribute for long-serving former councillor Diana Raphael who retired from council life at the election earlier this month.
“Diana Raphael has been a stalwart, an icon. It will truly not be the same town council without her,” he said.
Coun Robert Raphael paid tribute to Coun Goodge for his civic year which saw the Mayor of Evesham tackle 88 engagements in and around Evesham including an 800 mile round trip to Dreux in France as part of the town’s twinning celebrations.
“Anyone who has held the office of mayor will tell you how exciting, invigorating, terrifying and exhausting it can be,” he said.
“You and your family have represented this town proudly over the past year.”
Although cheques were presented to his chosen charities; Caring Hands in the Vale, Evesham Girlguiding and Evesham Shopmobility, Coun Goodge said he wanted to continue to support the trio for the year ahead.
He admitted the birth of his son Nathaniel during the year and the impact of campaigning for the local elections had left him feeling he hadn’t raised as much as he wanted for his chosen causes.
The town’s deputy Mayor will Coun Sue Amor after the popular councillor was proposed by Coun Patrick Boyd and seconded by Coun Robert Raphael.
