A ceremony dating back decades took place in Wokingham last Sunday, when the new town mayor, Cllr Alwyn Jones, was installed at an elaborate event at the town hall.
In her departing speech, outgoing mayor Lou Timlin said: “It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as the Wokingham town mayor.”
She thanked those who have helped her throughout the year, and also presented gifts.
She said: “Being the Wokingham town mayor has been an experience unlike anything else I have ever done.
“One of the clear highlights of my mayoral year has been getting to know the staff and members of my mayoral charity, CLASP, a charity which focuses on empowering people with learning disabilities to speak up for their rights, and to live more independently.
“It is an old tradition that outgoing mayors get the town hall a gift.
“If you look in the cabinets in the Jubilee Room, you’ll see a lot of silver objects that have been donated by past mayors.
“I was discussing this with my daughter and she came up with a brilliant idea.
“As my gift, the team at CLASP have given me one of their artworks which I wonder if Katy, the town clerk would accept on behalf of the Town Hall?
“Whilst it is impossible to pick a favourite event from my year – what this year has taught me is the power of community and how lucky we are to live in Wokingham.
“When you look at the world around you and everything that is going on globally you can feel quite overwhelmed, and wonder how you can possibly make a difference.
“But when you look closer to home you see that we have so many people, organisations, local charities and community groups who are enriching all of our lives.
“Collectively they are creating connections, providing much needed services and support, and giving us endless opportunities for joy and inspiration – right on our doorstep.
“It has been an honour and a privilege to represent Wokingham as the town mayor and first citizen this year – and to be able to get to know more about our diverse, vibrant, supportive and welcoming community.”
New town mayor Alwyn Jones, said: “I am truly honoured to be elected to represent Wokingham and the town council as mayor for the 2026-2027 year.
“I will do my utmost to perform this role with the dedication and commitment it deserves.
“Wokingham Town Football Club was the reason I first came to the town back in the 1980s.
“I have lived in Wokingham for over 20 years, and in that time I have seen the town grow considerably.
“I am so pleased that people from different parts of the world with different cultures have made the journey and decision to make Wokingham their home.
“As a result, the town is a more vibrant, friendly and welcoming place to live.
“As mayor, I would like to welcome you and thank you for choosing Wokingham to bring up your families.
“I am always humbled by the amount of unselfish community driven work undertaken by so many volunteers and it has been my pleasure to meet various charities during my year as deputy mayor.
“In the same vein, I hope in the next 12 months to get to know the many businesses and organisations that make Wokingham such a vibrant place to live.”
The new mayor and his consort Lyn received the chains of office, and he revealed that the Ollie Young Foundation is his chosen charity for the year.
He said: “Ollie died a day before his sixth birthday of a brain tumour.
“In the face of this absolute tragedy, the courageous family notably Sarah, Simon and Barbara decided that Ollie’s name would never be forgotten and so far, they have raised more than £800,000 for the continued research into this terrible disease.
“Thank you for everything you do – baking the fabulous cakes, selling the teddies and for being extraordinary human beings.”
The new deputy mayor is councillor Alexandra Domingue.
