Mayor of Chelmsford marks the end of mayoral term

On 18 May, Cllr. Jude Deakin, Mayor of Chelmsford and her Deputy, Cllr. Linda Mascot bid farewell to the Mayoralty after having served two terms from 2020 to 2022.

The first two-term Mayor

Chelmsford Mayors are only meant to serve for one term but Cllr. Deakin and Cllr. Mascot were re-elected again in 2021 as their 2020-2021 term was affected by Covid-19 restrictions. The Council agreed it would be fair to give them a chance to raise more money for their charities and attend the face-to-face engagements they missed out on in 2020.

Engaging residents virtually

Despite the lockdown and challenges around Covid, the Mayoralty found creative means to engage with residents. Many events were hosted online such as Remembrance Sunday and Pride.

The Mayoralty also maintained an active social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, supplemented by a monthly newsletter to all councillors, parishes, schools, care homes, churches and other organisations.

They also produced several podcasts on Anchor FM highlighting Chelmsford’s local groups and charities, and broadcast live on Chelmsford Community Radio, hosting their own shows on International Women’s Day.

Promoting Chelmsford

The Mayor and Deputy Mayor attended a total of 524 engagements between 2020 -2022, in person and online. In the last two years, they’ve successfully raised over £20,000 for MIND, Sanctus and Helping Hands Essex.

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“Despite the circumstances, we tried our best to be visible to the residents. We promoted everything local on our social media channels: events, festivals, parks, local products and more. Once things started to open up, we made sure to attend every engagement and we never turned anyone down. Even when I was ill with tonsillitis and later Covid, Cllr. Mascot was there on my behalf.”

Cllr Jude Deakin, outgoing Mayor of Chelmsford

Bittersweet farewell

When asked about her favourite part of the role, the outgoing Mayor, Cllr. Deakin said she really enjoyed meeting different people and hearing their stories. She’s humbled to have met so many individuals and groups in Chelmsford who’ve given up their time and resources to help the community.

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“I’m honoured to have served as Mayor for the last two terms and I feel privileged to be supported by a great team. I’m now ready to go back to my role as councillor for the Marconi ward.”

Cllr Jude Deakin, outgoing Mayor of Chelmsford

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“I’d like to thank our fantastic fundraising team, council staff and everyone who has invited us to their events. It was a life changing experience, but I’m looking forward to spending time with my family especially my grandchildren.”

Cllr Linda Mascot, outgoing Deputy Mayor of Chelmsford

A special Annual Council will be held on Wednesday 18 May to elect a new Mayor and Deputy Mayor.