'Honoured and privileged' - New mayor shares plans to support Shropshire hospice

Councillor Ian Preece is now the mayor of Great Dawley, after being unanimously elected at a town council meeting last night. His deputy mayor is Councillor Sally Lill.

Labour councillor Mr Preece is well known in the town, currently running a local charity organisation, Give Someone A Sporting Chance, which collects old football kits and distributes them to those in need. He was elected as one of three borough councillors for the Dawley and Aqueduct ward in 2021.

“I am honoured and privileged to become mayor of my hometown," said Councillor Preece. "I am really looking forward to working closely and helping the local community of Great Dawley and can’t wait to get started. I would also like to take this time to congratulate Sally Lill on becoming the new deputy mayor of Great Dawley. I know she will do an amazing job, and I look forward to working alongside her over the next year.”

He added: “My chosen charity for this year is Severn Hospice, this is a local charity that supports many people within our community and is close to the hearts of many. We would like to raise as many funds for this amazing charity and say a big thank you for all the hard work that the staff and volunteers do to provide specialist care for people living with incurable illnesses.”

Councillor Lill said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be the new deputy mayor. I’m excited and really looking forward to working closely with our residents and supporting all of the community events for the following year. My goal is to invest in the community so I can help to create a place that offers great opportunities for its residents.”

Also during the meeting, Councillor Shaun Davies was unanimously elected as chair of Great Dawley Town Council, with Councillor Barry Parnaby supporting as vice-chair for the 2022-23 term. These roles oversee the day to day running of the council.

Anyone who would like the mayor or deputy mayor to attend their event can get in touch by emailing communications@greatdawley.com or calling 01952 567910 for more information.

Elsewhere in the county, Shrewsbury's new mayor Elisabeth Roberts, also a Labour councillor, was sworn in. She said: “I am very proud to be a part of the Shrewsbury community, my adopted home, and my year as Shrewsbury mayor will concentrate on bringing all communities together, as we saw at the beginning of the pandemic.

“I will also have my three wonderful children join me and to represent Shrewsbury youth whilst also supporting mental health causes.”

She takes over the ceremonial chains from Councillor Julian Dean, who was the town's first Green Party mayor.