Newbury mayor-making ceremony
Councillor Elizabeth O'Keeffe is elected to office of mayor and town marshall Dave Stubbs retires after 20 years service
MEET the new mayor of Newbury, Elizabeth O’Keeffe.
She was unanimously elected the town’s first citizen at a ceremony at the Corn Exchange on Sunday.
Councillor Billy Drummond was elected deputy mayor.
Mrs O’Keeffe came to Newbury in 1981, when she managed the Waterside Youth & Community Centre.
She is now involved with a number of local charities and organisations, including Citizens Advice West Berkshire, Time To Talk and the Town Centre Neighbourhood Action Group.
Outgoing mayor Margo Payne told the packed audience: “It has been a joy and a privilege to serve.”
She recounted highlights of her year in office and remarked that she had been Newbury’s 20th female mayor, concluding: “Thank you, Newbury, for an amazing 12 months – I hope I’ve done you proud.”
Councillor Jeff Beck told the audience that Mrs Payne “carried out her duties with dignity and enthusiasm”.
He added: “I speak on behalf of the people of Newbury when I say ‘thank you’ for all you’ve done in your mayoral year. You can look back in years to come and say ‘that was a job well done’.”
Kuldip Singh Kang, who is retiring after serving twice as mayor and once as deputy mayor, congratulated Mrs Payne on a “fantastic job,” saying: “You will be a hard act to follow.”
Mr Singh Kang went on to thank his colleagues for their support during his past 12 years on the town council.
He added: “It has been a great honour and a privilege to serve alongside you all.
“Thanks to the whole community of Newbury for electing me. You’ve made me so proud to live here.
“I’ve enjoyed my time as a councillor and hope I’ve made a difference in some small way.”
Mrs Payne replied that Mr Singh Kang had been “an absolute rock of reliability” and wished him and his family all the best for the future.
Also bowing out was town marshal Dave Stubbs.
The mayor-making was his last official engagement after 20 years service.
The new mayor announced that she was looking forward to the challenges ahead in her year of office and said her chosen charity would be Time to Talk (West Berkshire).
Mrs O’Keeffe said: “The Time to Talk youth counselling charity has served the needs of local young people for over 30 years.
“Sadly the need for the service grows every year. We now find more and more requests for younger children to access the service.”
Musical accompaniment to the ceremony was provided by Watership Brass (Newbury town band), St Bartholomew’s School sixth former Yuri O’Keeffe and St Joseph’s Primary School Choir.
Following the ceremony, the entire town council, accompanied by the mace-bearers and town crier, paraded through Market Place to the Town Hall, to finish the formal business of the day.