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Mayor of Swindon, Civic Offices, Swindon (2026)

06/09/2026

It was a pleasure to attend a fundraising event in support of Swindon’s Open Door charity at the Sun Inn, Coate Water, alongside my Consort, Lesley Gow.

Open Door is a wonderful Swindon charity that has been supporting adults living with learning disabilities for over 40 years. Their work helps members to develop independence while providing a safe, supportive and welcoming environment where they can take part in learning activities, health and fitness, and social interaction.

There was a fantastic selection of homemade cakes and other goods on the Open Door stall, while the Rotary Club of Old Town, Swindon ran a soft toy tombola, all raising valuable funds for this great cause. I particularly enjoyed the Homity pies and bread pudding that I bought from the Open Door stall!

A huge thank you to the Open Door team and the volunteers from Old Town Rotary for helping to make the event such a success.

I would also like to thank Alan Holmes and Clive Atkins for providing the PA for the music, Sheila Harrod for organising the entertainment, and the new Sun Inn landlord, Richard Curtis, and his wife Sarah, for generously providing the opportunity to use the pub garden for this event.

I wish Richard, Sarah and their family, including their spaniel Milo, every success in their new venture! 🐾

05/09/2026

It was a pleasure to attend the Harbour Project Sports Day at the athletics ground, accompanied by my Consort, Lesley Gow.

We were warmly welcomed by the organisers and enjoyed watching some spirited three-legged and sack races across a number of age groups. It was fantastic to see so many people getting involved and enjoying the day together.

It was also great to see Swindon Borough Council’s Health and Wellbeing Team there, providing health advice and offering blood pressure checks to those attending.

A huge thank you to the many volunteers who helped make the event such a success, including members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, who supported the organisation and provided hot food for everyone to enjoy.

Events like this are a wonderful way of bringing our community together, promoting health and wellbeing, and creating opportunities for people of all ages to have fun.

04/09/2026

It was a privilege to attend Prospect Hospice Together in the Garden event at their beautiful hospice gardens.

Thankfully, the rain came and went fairly quickly! The Prospect team were well prepared, and everyone enjoyed chatting together in the marquee until the skies brightened and we could make the most of the garden.

As one of my two Mayoral charities, it is always a particular privilege to be invited to events hosted by Prospect Hospice. This was a wonderful evening of thanks and celebration for the charity’s supporters, alongside members of the Board of Trustees, Executive Team, Leadership Team and clinical teams.

There was also some fantastic news shared by Prospect’s CEO, Jeremy Lune, who announced that, following successful fundraising, the hospice will be opening three additional beds. This was met with loud and well-deserved applause. 👏

It was also a valuable reminder that around 80% of Prospect Hospice’s work takes place in the community, supporting patients, carers and families in their own homes.

The evening coincided with the final day of Prospect’s matched giving campaign, where every pound donated was doubled by a generous donor, a wonderful way to support the charity’s vital work.

It was very special to spend time with so many people who are passionate about Prospect Hospice and committed to ensuring that local people and their families receive the care and support they need. 💚

04/09/2026

As a member of Swindon Borough Council’s Fostering Panel, I was delighted to attend this special event in my role as Mayor of Swindon.

Swindon is fortunate to have so many wonderful foster carers, who are absolute heroes. They take on the incredible responsibility of providing safe, loving and supportive homes for children and young people who need them most. ❤️

It was also a pleasure to meet members of Swindon Borough Council’s social work team, whose dedication and support make such an important difference to foster carers and the children and young people in their care.

I was pleased to see our SBC CEO, Sam Mowbray, at the event too. Together, we had the opportunity to speak with many of those attending and express our appreciation for everything they do.

Although restrictions at Lydiard Park meant we couldn’t hold the usual BBQ, the team ensured that everyone enjoyed a wonderful picnic and a great time together. 🧺☀️

If you have ever considered becoming a foster carer, I strongly encourage you to find out more. By welcoming more foster carers in Swindon, we can help more children and young people remain in their home town, close to their extended families, friends and communities, rather than being placed many miles away.

👉 Find out more about becoming a foster carer through https://www.swindon.gov.uk/fostering

Thank you to all our foster carers and the wonderful teams who support them, your dedication makes an enormous difference 🧡

03/09/2026

It was a real pleasure to be invited by Ben Ogunshola, along with my Consort, Parish Councillor Jane Milner-Barry, to open the 2nd Swindon Chess Congress at STEAM.

On our journey to STEAM, Jane shared with me an incredible story about her father, Sir Philip Stuart Milner-Barry, which I was delighted to tell the players during my opening speech.

In 1939, Jane’s father was representing Great Britain at chess in Buenos Aires when Britain declared war on Germany. Although a number of international teams were taking part, including Germany, the British team immediately left to return home. Their journey by ship took three weeks, with the constant danger of German U-Boats.

On his return to Britain, Sir Stuart, together with two of his Buenos Aires chess teammates, joined Bletchley Park, where he eventually ran Hut 6, the section responsible for breaking German Enigma codes. It is fascinating to think that several of the codebreakers at Bletchley Park were themselves accomplished chess players.

I also spoke about one of the wonderful things about chess, that players from 8 years old to over 80 can sit opposite each other and compete on an equal footing. Looking around the boards at STEAM, it was wonderful to see exactly that happening!

I was also honoured to make the first move to officially start the congress, White pawn to K4, so I’m pleased to say I didn’t let anyone down! ♟️

With more than 175 players expected to take part over the four-day congress, it was fantastic to see chess thriving here in Swindon, bringing together players of different ages and abilities.

For anyone interested in chess, whether you’re a complete beginner, an experienced player or aspiring to become a grandmaster, there are many chess clubs in and around Swindon where you can get involved.

A huge thank you to everyone involved in organising the congress, and I wish all the players the very best of luck. May the best player win! ♟️

03/09/2026

I was delighted to be invited by the Swindon Hindu Temple to attend this wonderful and colourful cultural event, celebrating the bonds of mutual protection and support.

It was particularly special to see officers from the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, alongside members of our public services and emergency services. Together with invited guests and members of the community, we celebrated this important tradition and the shared values of heritage, mutual support and protection that bring us together.

It was a real privilege to be invited to speak and to have the opportunity to thank our Armed Forces, public services and emergency services for all that they do to keep us safe, often while we are sleeping soundly in our beds. Their dedication and service deserve our deepest gratitude.

I was also pleased to recognise and thank the Hindu community for its excellent record of public and charitable service across our town. Their contribution to Swindon is greatly valued and is a wonderful example of how communities can come together to support others.

The event was made even more special by the fantastic performances of dance and music from members, children and young people of the Hindu community. Their talent, enthusiasm and pride in their culture were wonderful to see.

A huge thank you to everyone who organised the event and to all those who took part. It was a truly uplifting celebration of culture, service, friendship and community. 🙏🌺

02/09/2026

I was delighted to be invited to visit the new café being established in the space formerly occupied by the much-loved Olive Tree Café at Manor Garden Centre. I was joined by my Mayor’s Consort, Parish Councillor Jane Milner-Barry.

We were so impressed by Maria Lynch, founder of the charity ASK DANNY, and her family and small team of supporters, who have worked incredibly hard to get the café almost ready to open.

Ask Danny was established in memory of Maria’s son, Danny, and advocates for patients with complex learning disabilities and autism during hospital stays. People with complex learning disabilities can find hospital admissions particularly challenging, with limited specialist support available to meet their needs, especially during evenings and weekends when staff with the appropriate training may not be on shift.

The charity provides sensory and fidget items, as well as comfort teddy bears, across every ward at Great Western Hospital. 🧸💙

Danny’s Café will be open to everyone, but has been specially designed to be a welcoming and supportive space for people with additional needs and their carers. Importantly, the café will also help raise funds for Ask Danny, with profits going towards funding specialist learning disability healthcare assistants to provide additional weekend cover at Great Western Hospital.

Maria and her team are hoping to open at the beginning of September, but there is still work to be done, particularly in the outdoor garden areas.

They would be extremely grateful for help with items including:

🌿 Membrane and fencing
🌱 Garden borders
🐰 A rabbit hutch
🐹 A guinea pig hutch
🐔 A chicken coop
🦆 A duck pond
🪑 Garden furniture
🏡 A garden shed
🔨 Work to make good the patio area

This is a wonderful example of a family turning something incredibly difficult into something positive that will support so many others in our community.

If you can donate materials, equipment, time or practical help, please do get in touch with Maria at [email protected] or via the Ask Danny page. They can let you know what help is still needed.

I wish Maria, her family and the whole Ask Danny team every success with Danny’s Café. I’m looking forward to seeing it open its doors and becoming a special place for the Swindon community. 💙☕️

02/09/2026

Celebrating the Swindon Filipino Community 🇵🇭

It was a real pleasure to visit the Swindon Filipino Association’s Summer Picnic with my Mayor’s Consort, Lesley Gow.

We were warmly welcomed by Aries Aquitaine, who introduced us to many of the visitors and stallholders. It was wonderful to meet so many members of this vibrant and welcoming community.

The picnic showcased one of the widest ranges of Filipino food I have ever seen together in Swindon! 🍲🥟🍰 We were invited to sample many of the delicious delicacies on offer, and it was fantastic to see so many people sharing their culinary skills and traditions with the wider community.

What particularly struck me was the generosity of those who had taken time away from their various professions to come together and share their food, culture and heritage with everyone attending.

Events like this are a wonderful reminder of the diversity that makes Swindon such a special place to live, work and visit.

A huge thank you to Aries and everyone at the Swindon Filipino Association for such a warm welcome and for allowing Lesley and me to share in your special day. 🇵🇭❤️

01/09/2026

Wishing a very special Swindon resident a very Happy 100th Birthday! 🎂

Today, 1 September, a very special resident turned 100, and this celebration is extra special as he is the father of our Deputy Mayor, Councillor Gayle Cook.

Born on 1 September 1926 in a village near Whitwell, Derbyshire, he has lived an absolutely extraordinary century.

From humble beginnings as a miner’s son, his sharp mind earned him a scholarship to grammar school. By just 15 years old, his passion for the skies led him to join the RAF as a boy entrant, beginning a remarkable aviation career spanning decades.

During his RAF career, he flew the iconic Lancaster bomber as his first aircraft, before ending his military flying career piloting the huge Belfast transport aircraft. He was even hand-picked to support Concorde’s historic 1975 round-the-world tour, carrying vital spare parts across the globe.

After the RAF, his love of aviation continued as he flew the beautiful Comet 4 for Dan-Air, before eventually retiring from commercial flying. He then continued working for British Aerospace well into his late 60s.

What an incredible career and an incredible life.

And, remarkably, on his 100th birthday today, he is still full of energy and adventure, driving up to Northallerton to take some dear friends out for dinner who are unable to make the big celebration this weekend!

Wishing you a wonderful birthday, a fantastic dinner tonight and a brilliant celebration with your family and friends this Saturday in Chiseldon.

Here’s to an extraordinary 100 years, and many more happy memories to come! 💯👏

24/08/2026

It was a pleasure to visit the fete at St Peter’s Church in Penhill, organised by the Owen’s World Foundation.

Owen’s World Foundation brings together family members, friends, volunteers and professionals who share a common purpose, helping to create safer futures for young people. Through education, community support and campaigning, they are working to reduce knife crime, raise awareness of the risks, and provide practical resources such as bleed kits and knife amnesty bins.

It was great to be invited to this event and to have the opportunity to speak with local residents, stallholders and the many volunteers who helped make the fete such a lovely community occasion.

We need to do everything possible to reduce knife crime and, most importantly, prevent the devastating tragedies that it can lead to. Education, early intervention and giving young people positive opportunities all have an important part to play.

My thanks go to everyone at Owen’s World Foundation and all those who are working tirelessly to reduce knife crime and improve the lives, opportunities and aspirations of our young people. 👏

Mayor of Swindon

06/09/2026

05/09/2026

04/09/2026

04/09/2026

03/09/2026

03/09/2026

02/09/2026

02/09/2026

01/09/2026

24/08/2026

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Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm