Wokingham

Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons was elected Mayor of Wokingham Borough Council on Thursday May 22.

Cllr Helliar-Symons took over as Mayor of the Wokingham council when out-going Mayor Cllr Annette Drake handed over the chain of office at the annual meeting of the council. The mayor of the council is the official ‘first citizen’ of the borough and has a civic role, representing the council and the people of the borough, as well presiding over borough council meetings. Unless Her Majesty the Queen or her representative is in attendance, the mayor takes precedence over any other dignitaries attending events.

Cllr Helliar-Symons was elected to Wokingham Borough Council as member for Wokingham Without in 1982. She was previously chairman of Wokingham District Council (1998 to 2000) and was the civic head when the council became a unitary authority in 1998. During her time at the council she has also held a number of key positions including chairman of the personnel board and the overview and scrutiny committee. She also spent four years as the executive member for adult social care (2003 to 2007).

Growing up in Somerset, Cllr Helliar-Symons was educated in Bristol before graduating in History from the University of Wales. Following a year studying for her postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE), she taught in Swansea for three years before moving to Berkshire where she taught at a number of schools for over 30 years, 17 of those as a deputy headteacher.

Cllr Helliar-Symons now works as an Investors in People assessor and is an accredited peer member of the government’s Information and Development Agency, which involves coaching and mentoring new council leaders and executive members in social services, community development and children’s services. She also facilitates training workshops for elected members in a number of councils around the country.

Traditionally, the Mayor of the Wokingham council chooses a charity to benefit from fundraising during their year in office.

This year, the Mayor has chosen two charities - LINK Visiting Scheme and Life Education - to support during her time in office. LINK Visiting Scheme organises volunteers to offer friendship and support to the more isolated older people of the Wokingham Borough. The money raised by the Mayor will enable LINK to add extra quality to older people’s lives by organising visits to places of interest such as the theatre, garden centres, National Trust properties and other interesting locations, often including afternoon tea, as a way of giving them contact with other people.

The second charity the Wokingham Mayor will be supporting is Life Education, a national charity, which is working in Wokingham Borough primary schools to help children make informed choices about healthy living, particularly in relation to drug and substance abuse.

Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons said: “I believe Wokingham is one of the finest boroughs in the country and I am honoured to be appointed as Mayor. I look forward to this challenging role and a very busy year representing our council. I hope to use the role to build on our good relationships with the council’s many partners, so that we can all add value to the community.”

Another well-known Wokingham councillor Barrie Patman has been appointed as the new Deputy-Mayor to support Cllr Helliar-Symons during her time in office. Cllr Patman has been involved with local government since 1979 and was elected to the borough council in 1994. He was previously executive member for community safety and vice chairman of Thames Valley Police Authority. Cllr Patman is a keen sportsman with interests in fencing and sailing.

Cllr Patman said: “I am looking forward to meeting many people from all walks of life over the coming year.”

Wokingham Borough Council