REVIEW 2019: Mayor of Ely Mike Rouse puts the wellbeing of the community first

REVIEW 2019: Mayor of Ely Mike Rouse puts the wellbeing of the community first. Here he is with the therapy dogs. Picture: LAUREN ROUSE (Image: Archant)

The mayor is in a unique position to connect people and organisations, to support charities, to reassure citizens that the council is working with them and for them.

An important role for me is connecting with children, trying to make them aware of who the mayor is and that there is a tradition, a structure, if you like, under which they can grow up feeling safe and secure and the mayor represents that in the parish.

Party politics has become increasingly spiteful and angry, so it is a great relief for me personally to have stepped away from all that and just be able to concentrate on the well being of our community in Ely.

As all who have taken on the duties of mayor since 1974 know that it is the office of mayor that it is important, not the person holding that position.

Hundreds of people attended Ely Apple Day 2019 as it returned to the city on Satuday (October 19). Picture: MIKE ROUSE. (Image: Archant)

The May elections to the city council meant that sadly the Mayor Elect, Alison Arnold could not take over as mayor, so I was asked to take a second consecutive turn which I have done, but with my older daughter Lauren taking over from Cassie as mayoress.

This calendar year we have welcomed many visitors to Ely and represented the city in neighbouring towns.

We have fulfilled more than 300 civic engagements and attended some lovely community events, wonderful concerts and plays, a fine civic service in St Mary's Church, as well as many smaller but important community events.

We are grateful to the Ely Standard for reporting on so many of the good things that are happening in Ely.

Shopkeepers brighten up Ely with wartime window displays. Picture: MIKE ROUSE (Image: Archant)

It is amazing just how vibrant our city is and we are only able to see part of it.

It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve as the mayor of the city in which I was born and to be able to put something back into our community.

The mayoress and I are grateful; to all those who have invited us to events and made us feel so welcome.

I wish all our citizens a prosperous and happy 2020.

18 local organisations and charities were handed cheques totally nearly £13,000 after the Mayor of Ely Cllr Mike Rouse held his civic service at St Mary's on Sunday. Kathryn Rowland organised the choirs for the music and the cheques were presented by Ely Standard Editor John Elworthy on behalf of the council. Picture; LAUREN ROUSE (Image: Archant)

Writers shared their tales about man’s best friend at a ‘pawsome’ short story competition in Ely. Picture: MIKE ROUSE (Image: Archant)