Derek Youell - Mayor of Epsom and Ewell 1997/98




Derek Youell, Mayor of Epsom and Ewell for 1997/1998 has kindly provided these thoughts on his year as Mayor

THE START

Many people have asked me what is the nicest thing about being Mayor and my standard reply is "that I had to resign from the Planning Committee". The position of Mayor is very much a ceremonial one and is usually offered to a Councillor who has already served for several years and probably has spent some time as a Chairman of a Committee. In my case I was elected as a Councillor representing College Ward in 1997 and had served on the Planning Committee since that time being Chairman for the last five years. The Mayor is elected at a Council Meeting during May but you normally have some idea of the forthcoming honour a few months before and have time to prepare yourself for the ordeal. You might think that the Deputy Mayor becomes the new Mayor but in Epsom & Ewell we do it differently, the Mayor becomes the Deputy Mayor and has a year of comparative rest after before going back to the vigour of Committee life but it does mean that the new Mayor is thrown straight into attending events and making speeches without a great deal of initiation.

THE FIRST EVENTS

Elected on a Tuesday in May and on the following Saturday I was attending a delayed Christmas lunch for elderly people in the Borough provided by a local employer and trying to encourage them to sing.

Within a few weeks I was at the Derby attending a lunch in the Queen's Stand, not with the Queen I hasten to add but a very enjoyable event nether the less.

Talking of Racing I opened a new betting shop in Ewell when they kindly donated £150 towards my Charity Appeal on the understanding I would use it to place a bet. While I normally bet a few pounds £150 seemed a lot but with advice from Lestor Piggott I thought I could not go wrong. Surprise surprise I did - I lost. The owners gave the £150 to my Charities in any case.

I have attended two Philippine Fiestas where the idea is to bring together the different cultures and was surprised to learn afterwards that my neighbour had heard my speech while sitting in his garden even though he was over half a kilometre away. No doubt I made a few enemies because I was welcoming everyone to the Borough and hoping they will come back next year and hadn't known that people in the locality were telephoning the Town Hall to complain of the noise. They do have large loud speakers these Philippine people.

The events in Guildford Cathedral have been most impressive. It is wonderful to be in a large Cathedral with a large congregation and a good choir. We have attended services for Princess Diana, Age Concern, and the Princess Alice Hospice amongst others.

One of the most exciting events so far has been attending the local 323 Squadron Air Training Corps Annual Awards and Presentation Parade and to see the high standard achieved by the boys and girls in drill, gymnastics and technical ability.

MY CHARITIES

It is customary for the Mayor to support local Charities and details of the ones I am supporting this year are on the following page. Various events are arranged with the aid of a Committee and we hope to raise over £10,000.

HOW IT ALL HAPPENS

There is one very important action every week. On a Tuesday morning I visit the Town hall to see my secretary. She really does all the organising and makes sure that I know exactly where to go and when and what I have to do. This is no simple task because we have some 300 events a year and each one is different. My other weekly task is to sign all the official papers and seals. It is surprising how many such documents there are.

THE COUNCIL

What happens to the Council while the Mayor is partaking in all these pleasant events? Well the Committees do all the work and the Council only meets 10 times a year when I am required to attend and try and control the meetings. Actually the Mayor is probably the least effective member of the Council during his year of office.

OTHER EVENTS

It isn't all lunches and meeting famous people. In Epsom we have many Clubs and organisations covering Gardening, Stamp Collecting, Riding for the Disabled, People with Learning Disabilities, the Elderly, Scouts, Guides, Youth Clubs, Uniformed Cadets and many others. From time to time all invite the Mayor to present prizes, attend meetings and even judge competitions. One thing I have learnt is that with a Fancy Dress parade the best thing is to select the winner and then run. Children take a great interest in the badge of office and I can always be sure they will ask about it and I have to explain that in 1937 when the Borough received its Charter the local children contributed 1p each to pay for the chain. They are always very impressed.

CONCLUSIONS

One realises the great debt that society owes to all those unpaid helpers who give so much of their time to ensure we can all benefit from their activities and so make Epsom & Ewell such a pleasant place to live, to work, and to play.

MAYOR'S CHARITIES 1997/98

The Charities I have chosen to support during my Mayoral year are:

The Princess Alice Hospice. The Hospice has just celebrated its 10th Anniversary of providing care within our area for people who are terminally ill, as well as comforting and supporting their families. It now has more than 200 patients within its care on a daily basis, including many who are helped in their own homes. At the Hospice, furniture, curtains, mattresses and medical equipment are all now in urgent need of refurbishment or replacement, and we hope to raise money to provide curtains and furnishings for the Wards.

Ewell Children's Aid Society: This society was founded in 1980 to mark the 25th Anniversary of Ewell Rotary Club. Its purpose was to acquire battery driven wheelchairs for severely disabled children in the area, and since that time the Society has expanded the range of equipment it supplies to include stair hoists, walkers, and special chairs for use at home for children with severe multiple problems. Funds are also provided for any alterations or additions to the equipment provided as the child grows or abilities change. Equipment is re-used when a particular child no longer needs it, either by another local child or in one of the many special needs schools in the area with whom the Society works closely. We hope to raise funds to provide a specialist wheelchair (£2,000) and facilities to improve mobility.

Epsom and Ewell Phab gives disabled young people the same opportunities enjoyed by their able-bodied friends and brings them all together on equal terms. It is not about 'helping' disabled people but about changing attitudes, making people more aware of one another's needs, and finding mutual interests. It is run in a similar manner to any other youth club, except that every activity is available to all the members, whatever their abilities or disabilities. The Club has 120 members aged between 8 and 18 years, and meets every Friday evening at the Linton Centre. Trips are organised to outside activities, with the highlight of the year being an adventure holiday where over five days the young people learn about working and living together as they tackle a wide variety of challenging activities including rock climbing, caving and canoeing. We hope to raise enough money this year to enable a further 20 young people to take part in this adventure holiday.

I hope you will agree with me that these three charities deserve all the help we can give, and that you will support me and my Charity Committee in our endeavours this year. Thank you.

Councillor Derek Youell, Deputy Mayor of Epsom and Ewell Town Hall, The Parade, Epsom KT18 5BY Tel: 01372 732104




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first posted 1997     last updated 10 June 1999