A NEW mayor and deputy mayor of Reading will step into the roles at the Mayor Making Ceremony today.
The rearranged event, which usually takes place in May, was postponed this year due to the pandemic.
The council extended the mayoralty of Cllr David Stevens until November after a disruptive Mayoral year in 2020 to 2021.
Cllr Stevens 18-month mayoralty comes to an end today and Cllr Rachel Eden will serve for the rest of the current municipal year and then for a full year from May 2022.
Cllr Jason Brock, Reading Borough Council leader, said: “On behalf of everyone in the town, our thanks go to Councillor Stevens for the tremendous job he has done as mayor in what has been a uniquely difficult 18 months.
“David represented the town with great dignity in the days and weeks that followed the horrific events at Forbury Gardens in June last year, and I would like to place on record my own personal thanks for the support he gave me in the aftermath.”
Cllr Brock added it was the correct decision to extend the Mayoral term by six months.
“As is the custom, the current Deputy Mayor, Cllr Rachel Eden, will now become our nominated candidate for the Mayoralty. The intention is that Cllr Eden will serve for the remainder of current municipal year and then for a full year from May 2022 to May 2023 – 18 months in total.
“I’d like to thank Rachel for her patience before taking the helm and I am absolutely certain that she will be an excellent champion for our town and a dedicated first citizen.
“I am also delighted to announce Councillor Ayo Sokale as our nomination for the deputy Mayor post, which will run until May 2022.
Cllr Brock explained if agreed at today’s ceremony, Cllr Sokale will become one of the youngest deputy mayors in the history of the borough, and certainly the youngest in recent years.
“We all look forward to Ayo also being a great ambassador for Reading and for young people in our town and I know she is looking forward to doing her part to support Rachel’s Mayoralty.”
