The Mayor of Harpenden
A new Town Mayor and Deputy Mayor are elected each year at Annual Council, which is held in May.
The Town Mayor is the Chairman of the Council and carries out a civic role by representing Harpenden at events outside the area, as well as attending events in the Town such as prize givings, public meetings, official openings, the Highland Gathering and Harpenden Carnival. The Mayor also represents the Town at civic occasions such as Remembrance Day.
In addition, the Mayor hosts a number of charity events through their mayoral year to raise funds for their nominated charities.
The Deputy Mayor attends certain civic occasions with the Mayor such as the Civic Service and Remembrance Day, as well as representing the Mayoralty when the Mayor is not able to attend.
The Mayor wears the Chain of Office at Council meetings and at many local and Mayoral events and occasions. You can find out more about the history of the Chain, and the Town's Coat of Arms here.
The Mayor for 2023/24 is Councillor Fiona Gaskell (photo right).
The Mayor's Charities
The Mayor's charities for 2023/24 are Herts Young Homeless and Harpenden Mencap.
Herts Young Homeless
Hundreds of young people in Hertfordshire right now don’t have a place to call home and instead are facing uncertainty and fear. They might be sofa surfing, sleeping rough or living in a hostel, away from family and friends.
Since 1998, Herts Young Homeless has been preventing homelessness and providing education, advice and support to young people in the local community in a variety of ways, by providing education in schools and family mediation through to supporting 16-24 year olds in their first homes or caring for adults of all ages who have mental health issues and housing needs.
Their services empower young people to be able to deal with the difficult situations in their lives, giving them the ability and confidence to 'do it themselves' and ultimately find stability.
Herts Young Homeless’ vision for 2023 is that ‘Every young person should have a safe home from which they can grow and thrive.’
For more information and to donate:
Harpenden Mencap
Harpenden Mencap was founded in 1959 by Judy Fryd and eight local parents of children with a learning disability.
Since then, the charity has worked to serve the local community by providing outstanding support for those who access its care services and promoting equal opportunity, diversity and knowledge to assist understanding of learning disability.
Harpenden Mencap helps those with a learning disability lead independent and fulfilling lives by providing occupational opportunities, supporting residents in its purpose-built flats or from their own homes in the community and running the Britannia Club, a club which provides an environment where there are opportunities to meet friends, share experiences and participate in group activities or individual pursuits.
For more information and to donate:
https://www.harpendenmencap.org.uk/
You can read about fundraising activities and events organised by the Mayor here.
Contact The Mayor
When addressing the Town Mayor, it is normal practice to refer to her as either 'Madam Mayor' or 'The Town Mayor of Harpenden, Councillor Fiona Gaskell'.
To invite the Town Mayor to your event, please fill in the invitation form below and click 'Submit'.
The Town Mayor has a very busy diary but does try to attend as many events as possible.
Once your invitation has been received, the Town Mayor's Secretary will contact you to confirm whether the Town Mayor is able to attend, and will send you a questionnaire accordingly. Please complete the questionnaire and return it as soon as possible.
The personal information you provide will be held in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Town Council’s Data Protection Policy. You can find more information about how we will handle your personal information in our Privacy Statements which can be viewed here.
