Opinion: Mayor looking forward to unleashing towns potential

As this is my first column since becoming Mayor I would like to say that I am extremely honoured to be the new Mayor taking on the role from September 2024 and I can promise all of you that I will undertake the role with pride and enthusiasm and to the very best of my abilities - I know that I have committed and very hard-working councillors and staff striving to deliver for you and I would like to thank them all for their continued support, dedication and commitment as they continue to play their part in working to improve the lives of our residents.

Life can give us many challenges and inspire countless acts of compassion and I know that there are many good things and many good people in our community and that there is no limit to what we can achieve when we all work together. In the short time that I have been Mayor I have been privileged to see this community spirit in action across a variety of events from remembrance day through to the most recent kicking off Christmas event and I look forward to playing my part in building on this community togetherness as we work together for our town's future as a thriving and vibrant community.

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Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn is a great place to live and we have every reason to be proud of our town and our community. We should remember the equal worth of every individual and think of the voiceless and the vulnerable who need our love and protection and we should also remember to show a little kindness to each other at every possible opportunity as it’s those small acts that put a smile on people's faces and a spring in their step.

I would also like to pay tribute to the staggering amount of voluntary work that is undertaken by our residents across many aspects - from something high profile to the persons who quietly pick up litter without being asked - thank you all. Our town has continued to host many well-attended events in the past year which have shown not only what our community can do but also highlighted the beauty of Newtown - from its historical buildings to its magnificent open green spaces. These events have been enjoyed by our residents, attracted many visitors and acted as magnificent showcases for our town and its people.

I have experienced many highlights since becoming Mayor and would like to mention just a few as they really do showcase what is so good about our community:

• I was delighted to be present together with Cllr Val Howard at the bench commemorating the 50th anniversary of the town council - it was also an opportunity to recognise Cllr Val's remarkable work and dedication over her 25 years of service to the town council including 2 occasions as Mayor.
• The Kicking Off Christmas event was a great day packed full of activities and enjoyed by many - and it was an absolute pleasure to introduce Graham Jennings, Honorary Freeman of Newtown, to turn on the Christmas lights.
• I attended the launch of the Newtown Fashion and Textiles Academy based in the Pryce Jones building - it was an unforgettable evening showcasing the talents of so many students including a fantastic runway show of their designs.
• I attended the launch of Cultivate's community project "Get Growing, Get Cooking, Get Skills" where it was great to meet and talk to so many people who are passionate about our local food culture and want to make local food more accessible and available for people to enjoy.
• Together with the Deputy Mayor I attended the re-launch of the Granary and it is fantastic to see this great venue reopen for business in our town centre.
• The Deputy Mayor and I attended a Charity Candlelit Christmas Carol Service at All Saints Church in aid of Rekindle and I was delighted to accept the offer to read one of the readings.

I am sure that there will be many more highlights to come as well as many challenges and I would ask for any help/ideas/thoughts you can give as the best way to get things done is by working with others. In my experience all the positive changes have been done in partnership with other groups across the public, voluntary and private sectors and this is an area that I am very keen to encourage through the Town Partnership where the town council's representative - similar to say a school governor - is just one of many members with an equal voice who come together to try to make a difference for the benefit of all. If you aren't already a member of the town partnership, I would encourage you to join and have your say - if you would like to find out more about the partnership, please just let me know.

Finally, I am pleased to let you know that as Mayor I will be supporting two charities - Newtown Street Pastors and Rekindle - both of whom undertake fantastic work for our residents.

It is an honour to serve you and I thank each and every one of you for your contribution - no matter how big or small you may think that is - to making Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn such a great place to live and I look forward to working with you to unleash our town's full potential in the years ahead.

Cllr Pete Lewington

Mayor of Newtown & Llanllwchaiarn