Mayor of Shrewsbury’s Christmas Message

Christmas is just around the corner and the festive excitement is building. I was delighted to turn on the Christmas Lights a couple of weeks ago and my Mayoral Diary is full of Panto visits, Carol Concerts and Christmas Fayres.

Whilst this is often a time of merriment and to indulge, I just wanted to spare a thought for those less fortunate. This year has seen huge price rises in food and fuel and our Food Hub and Food Bank have been working tirelessly helping those who have found it difficult to cope.

I have also been humbled by so many community organisations in Shrewsbury opening up their facilities to create Warm Rooms, putting on activities to keep our elderly warm and safe.

After a couple of years of uncertainty from the ravages of Covid, we remain in uncertain times with international crises that we don’t necessarily have any control over but yet affect us greatly.

We have seen the county warmly welcoming refugees to the area to start a new life and I am proud to be Mayor of a town that has supported people to settle here. We have a hugely diverse community and the fact that we can do much to help ourselves is extremely important.

I would love to say everything will be much better next year, but we continue to work in very challenging times and that requires Councils like Shrewsbury Town Council to make difficult decisions. As soon as we return in the New Year, we have to set our budget for the following year and we are all very conscious of the need for the services that we provide; they make Shrewsbury a happy place – a place that we are all proud to call home.

You have mine and the Town Council’s commitment to do everything we can to ensure Shrewsbury remains that wonderful, kind place that we all love.

It leaves me to wish everyone a fantastic Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.

ENDS/

Published: 21 December 2022