Author: Andrew Taylor

February started with the opening of the new Sunnyside Barn, a real joy as I attended the venue first as a Beaver and Cub, then later as a leader. It was lovely to see it back in use.

January is a quiet month with only a few meetings, the Lions’ Senior Citizens event, and the town’s volunteer fair as the highlights.

The month started with the Air Cadets’ Christmas dinner, closely followed by the beautiful Carols at Sackville College. I then attended the Being Neighbourly and the Armed Forces Veterans Christmas events, which were very well attended, helping vulnerable members of our town.

Next was a very sad but worthwhile event, the Food Bank’s Christmas bag pack. It was humbling and an honour to help at. On a lighter note, I then watched the incredible Panto at Chequer Mead (oh yes I did!)

Next up was my carol service at the Meridian Hall, followed by a day I will never forget helping pack and deliver food for the Greenway Foundation. I will be back next year to help again as this is one of the most incredible acts of human kindness I have ever witnessed.

I then managed to get some family time over Christmas.

November started off the very busy Christmas season with a charity gala and night of music provided by VOX at the Dorset Arms, all in aid of the QVH Charity. We then had Remembrance Services, which is the greatest honour as Mayor to lead. This was one event that will last with me my whole life. After that, it was the town’s big reveal. I dressed in a subdued manner and had the fun job of turning on the Christmas lights. The town was packed, and it was a huge success.

I then attended the opening of the new St Catherine’s Hospice, a new facility that will serve our town for the future. I chaired the town twinning AGM, an organisation that is very close to my heart. I awarded a top venue award to the town’s very own Yogurt Rooms – well done to the team there.

I next had the privilege to attend concerts at Chequer Mead at Sackville School before ending the month turning on yet more Christmas lights, but this time at QVH.

Some of the highlights of October were my charity barn dance, which was another sell-out event and helped raise a lot for the QVH Charity. I also attended the East Grinstead Chess Club and awarded them a grant of £50. I supported Burns Awareness Day with the burns team from QVH and EG Fire Station. I also had the pleasure of attending a film premiere of an EG-made film by a talented local team.

Then we had the first EG bonfire society parade and firework show. It was a wet and windy evening but a huge success.

I had the joy of hosting a hidden heroes’ event at East Court for members of our community who do so much for the town but often don’t get any recognition. It was then on to another very wet night supporting the Street Pastors and learning how they help our town at night.

The month began with the opening of the new Lions Charity book shop in Martells. This is a fantastic local resource, helping re-use old books, provide affordable books, and raise funds for the Lions. The generosity of Martells is truly appreciated for making this venture possible.

I was then honoured to be made a Rotarian and give a talk to the Rotary Club about my career as a councillor and time as Mayor.

Later that week, I had the joy of officially opening the new Stone Quarry Cafe at its new home in Stone Quarry. This great local facility looks amazing in its new home, and the partnership between MSDC, Clarion, and Sarah is to be applauded for bringing it to life. I was joined in the opening by our MP, Mims Davies, and the Deputy Lord Lieutenant.

As Mayor, you are president of several charities, and I therefore involved myself with their AGMs this month: Grenestede Talking News, Disability Access, and EGMAF. It’s always humbling to hear more about the amazing work our local charities do, and a pleasure to meet their members and the people they help.

On the 17th, I had my Civic Service at St Swithuns. This had been an event I was really looking forward to, and it didn’t fail to deliver. The church was full with friends, family, dignitaries, and fellow councillors. The service was beautiful and meaningful to me.

The following week was the first of my solo charity fundraisers, a quiz night. The night was a sellout and even had a waiting list! The quiz was run by Cllr Belsey, who was fantastic! My wonderful wife did the catering to keep costs down; she was incredible, and I don’t know how she did it! The event was a huge success, and we raised over £1000 for my charity. Thank you to everyone who attended.

Later that week, we had the Macmillan coffee morning at the hospital, and I attended to open the event and judge the cakes! Being Mayor can be a tough job, but cake always helps!

August was a quiet month as Mayor, but it started with a bang, the last East Court Live. The previous two events had been incredible, so the pressure was on.

It didn’t disappoint! The weather was kind to us, and the wonderful people of East Grinstead turned out in their thousands to support us.

 

We had a fantastic selection of local music, and even the Bubble House was a real hit with the kids.

Again, everyone was very generous, and we raised over £1100 for my chosen charity, QVH.

I then attended the East Grinstead Art Society exhibition at Glen Vue. There were some fantastic examples of local talent, and it was a joy to attend and see the works of art.

I also had the great pleasure of having my official portrait taken by the very talented Kate Murrell, lead photographer at QVH. She took the portrait in the grounds of the hospital, which I felt was a nice nod to the charity and the fact that I work there. The portrait is now hung in East Court, which has been a lifetime ambition of mine.

I knew September would be busier, and therefore managed to enjoy some downtime.