READING has a new mayor – and one of its youngest ever deputies.
At a special ceremony held in Reading’s town hall last Wednesday evening, Cllr Rachel Eden was installed as the borough’s first citizen.
Due to covid, her term of office will run for 18 months, until May 2023.
She has served as Whitley ward councillor since 2010, and has previously been a lead councillor Housing and Neighbourhoods and Adult Social Care.
Her roles include serving as a director of Reading Community Energy Society and is outgoing Chair of West Reading Together.
Outside of politics, Cllr Eden is the founder of an accountancy firm that works with a range of small local businesses and charities.
During her mayoral tenure, she will focus on five themes: Sustainability and the drive to net zero; The best start in life for young people; Improving the end of life for all; Getting through – and recovering from – the Covid pandemic together; and Equality and Diversity.
The charities she has chosen reflect this: Parenting Special Children; The Alliance for Cohesion and Racial Equality; and The Sue Ryder, Duchess of Kent Hospice.
“Being Mayor of Reading is a huge privilege and honour,” she said. “We are a truly great town and I hope to uphold the best traditions of the Reading Mayoralty in bringing our community together, whether in difficult times or when we have things to celebrate.
“Every Mayor has their own style and I hope to focus on encouraging a sustainable Reading with our push to net zero carbon; encouraging the best start in life for our young people and promoting better support for people at end of life, as well as of course celebrating our town’s amazing diversity and pushing for equality for all as we get through the pandemic.”
Also confirmed at the Mayor Making Ceremony last night was Cllr Ayo Sokale as Deputy Mayor of Reading until May next year.
Cllr Sokale has served as a Caversham Ward councillor since 2019, and is a Chartered Civil Engineer and Professionally Qualified Project Manager at the Environment Agency, as well as presenting science programmes for BBC Bitesize.
Ayo is a keen sustainability advocate and co-founded and runs a Plastic Free Group in Caversham. She is one of the ICE’s Water Superheroes aptly named Eco Warrior (previously Angel). She was nominated one of the Top 50 Women in Engineering under 35 in June 2017.
She is a Supervising Civil Engineer & member of the ICE Thames Valley, ICE Policy and External Affairs and ICE Communication Committees. She becomes one of the youngest Deputy Mayors in the history of the borough, and the youngest in recent years.
Cllr Sokale said: “I am honoured to represent Reading as Deputy Mayor, a place I have made my home since graduating from university.
“I am excited to embark on this journey and supporting the Mayor and her agenda. These are worthy causes that I am thoroughly honoured to support in this role. I am pleased to be a positive role model for the brilliant town that is Reading, a place we all love.”
Cllr Eden takes over from Cllr David Stevens. The ceremony had been planned for May, but the pandemic meant it was delayed. As a result, both Cllr Stevens and Cllr Eden will serve longer than usual mayoral terms.
