Mayor’s Blog – February

I find February a very dreary month but I don’t recall such a wet one. Despite so much rain the sun came out for the inaugural Dinosaur Run on Weymouth Beach at the start of the month and so did the crowds. There were lots and lots of runners of all ages and from across the South and lots of spectators. The funds were raised for the Will Mackaness Trust. I hope this will become an annual event!

Weymouth Town Council hosted its first Love Your Weymouth Festival which was a great success, if your interest was creepy crawlies, bees or snakes you were catered for. The main focus was ways to tackle the climate crisis and so much more. It was a great community event and very well attended; with lots of half-term activities for children including colouring and face painting.

I was unable to attend the Annual Award ceremony of Weymouth Angling Club and so was very pleased that Cllr Matt Bell and Cllr David Harris were able to be there. The Angling Club is a great asset to the town providing for anglers of all ages with a particularly strong junior membership. It is an example of real equality and diversity in the heart of our town. I have been fortunate to be involved with the club for a very long time and it is great for others to learn more about them.

Some time ago I asked for nominations for the Mayor’s Civic Community Awards. I met with other councillors recently to decide on recipients and the awards will be presented at the next Full Council meeting in the Council Chamber on Wednesday 20th March.

Another pleasurable task is to decide who should be awarded the Ken Isaacs Rose Bowl. Ken was a much loved and respected and missed chauffer and Mayors Mace Bearer in the old borough days. The award is made to a group or individual who has gone above and beyond during the year on behalf of the town. This year I decided that I wanted to thank the Steering Group for the Weymouth Neighbourhood Plan. This group including a few Councillors and a number of local residents who have worked tirelessly over the past five years to create our draft plan.

They have researched in great depth and consulted with as many groups within our community as possible. It is very important to the future development of Weymouth that we have a comprehensive Neighbourhood Plan. The completed draft will be examined by Dorset Council, be consulted on again and finally be presented to the people of Weymouth in a referendum. A huge piece of work that could not be completed without the steering group and therefore I felt they were worthy of recognition. They are also being presented with a keepsake glass paperweight from one of our town’s wonderful artists, Stuart Wiltshire in St Thomas Street.

Weymouth Town Council is coming to the end of its first five year term. Despite the pandemic it has achieved a great deal and become well embedded within our town. We have a small but committed work force who genuinely care about Weymouth and all aspects of life in the town.

May 2nd will see local elections take place. Please remember to bring photo identification when voting!

I feel very proud to have been the final Mayor of this term. Thank you for all the invitations I have received to join you at your events and thank you for all the support you have given me. My charity fund will remain open until the end of my term, and I am supporting MV Freedom, The Evergreen Unit at Westhaven Hospital and The Heart Foundation.

Thank you again, it has been a delight and a pleasure to meet so many of you.

Mayor of Weymouth, Cllr Kate Wheller.