Mayor

The Mayor is elected each year at the Annual Town Council meeting which is held in May.  The Mayor has two roles, as Chairman of the Town Council and Civic Ambassador for the town.  It is a role steeped in tradition and ceremony.

There are many engagements undertaken by the Mayor in which he/she acts as a link between the various groups and organisations and the town. The Mayor can share the views and concerns of the community with the Council. The Mayor can also take the Council’s message out into the community and work towards achieving the Council’s commitment to encouraging and fostering positive working relationships between the council and other organisations and individuals working and living in the community. 

Following the resignation of Cllr Jenny Kenton, Cllr Garry Shortland was elected on 9th May 2023. Garry will carry on supporting the Mayoral charities, listed below and will be working with staff to make the transition as smooth as possible. Garry has previously been Mayor so no Mayor Making or new photograph will be required.

As well as acting as Chairman of the Town Council, Garry will be undertaking a wide variety of civic duties and responsibilities on behalf of the Town Council and the people of Chard. Garry will be supported by Deputy Mayor Councillor Claire Brown, also his Mace Bearer Vivienne Cumming, who will accompany him to civic events.

Mayor’s Engagements

For details of the Mayor’s engagements please contact Tim Bickham on 01460 260058 or by emailing mayor@chard.gov.ukcreate new email.

Should you or your organisation wish to invite the Mayor to attend a function or an event that you are planning please complete the form by following the link below:

Mayors Attendance Pro Forma – opens WORD file

Once completed you can send the form electronically to the mayor’s e-mail above, or drop in a hard copy at the Chard Town Council Reception.

Follow what the Mayor gets up to by following his opens in a new window Facebook page.

Mayor’s Charity Fund

The Mayor is responsible for the Mayor’s Charity Fund.  This is entirely separate from the Town Council’s funds and monies raised are distributed to local charities at the end of the Mayoral year.

Each Mayor chooses his/her charities for the year and decides on the fund raising activities which will take place.

The Mayor’s chosen charities for the current year are:

Chard Young People’s Centre is a well-established and unique youth and community facility which has been serving the community for decades; working with generation after generation of young people and families. It’s used by a wide range of community groups and organisations and is available for hire.

The Chard Area Youth Committee is the charity responsible for commissioning youth work provision and managing the building / finances. It pays rent and all running and upkeep costs.

Youth Club Sessions are delivered by Active Learning & Skills (cic) whose qualified youth workers deliver a wide-ranging service and programme.

Youth Zone is for young people aged 11+ on 2 evenings a week.

Young people say ‘It’s a safe, warm, comfortable, positive place to go with lots of activities to do’.

Support and information is available to enable them to understand issues they may be facing and be empowered to deal with them. It gives them skills for life and helps raise self-esteem and confidence.

See ALS’s Facebook page: @YouthZone.als

Fun Time is for children aged 5-12 & voluntary helpers aged 11+ on 1 evening a week

Details of a broad, varied and fun programme can be seen from ALS’s Facebook page: @FunTime.als

In the last year total attendances were 5015, with over 500 children / young people using the service:

Youth Zone: 2,554 total attendances, Fun Time: 2,440.  21 young people also volunteered at services. Peak attendances at sessions are in the 80’s.

This is evidence of how much the service is valued, supported and needed for the children and young people of Chard. The Committee are passionate and committed to see it continue. New committee members are always welcome.

Phone: 07887 423 208 or email: office@cayc.org.ukcreate new email

Website: opens in a new windowChard Young Peoples Centre

Chard Watch is a community interest company (CIC) with big ambitions to end isolation for people experiencing mental health difficulties. We know how connecting people with shared experiences of mental health challenges can empower each of us, which is why peer support is at the heart of everything we do.  People thrive when they can maintain their own wellbeing, build self-resilience and develop skills. Supporting that journey is what Chard Watch is all about.

We have our Wednesday (for new members) and Thursday projects which take place each week in Chard. This provides a space to form new peer friendships and a social connection, so individuals build friendships which continue throughout the week and not just whilst they are at the Project. We have a weekly online forum for those who can’t get into the Project, so they can still benefit from meeting with their peers. We also run courses across Somerset on self-management, peer support and wellbeing.

Watch is a proud member of Open Mental Health – working in partnership to ensure adults in Somerset get the mental health support they need, when it’s needed. There is “no wrong door” for anyone who needs help.

Contact us by email  info@watchproject.org.ukcreate new email or by phone 01460 712119

Admin office Boden Centre, Boden Street, Chard

Website: opens in a new windowThe Watch Project