Mayor's column: Meet Cllr Bev Fernandes, Taunton's new mayor

A little over two weeks ago, the annual Mayor Making ceremony took place at Taunton Minster, and it is a great honour and privilege to have been elected mayor of Taunton, having had a taste of it as deputy mayor for the past year.

I am also delighted to welcome the new deputy mayor, Cllr Rob Isaacs, who will support me over the coming year.

My sincere thanks go to the outgoing mayor, Cllr Martin Straus, along with former mayors Cllr O'Donnell and Cllr Garside, all of whom have served our town with great dedication.

In my role as mayor and Armed Forces champion for Taunton Town Council, I am especially pleased to welcome Charlie, Mollie, Esme, and Bodie from the Sea and Royal Marine Cadets as our first mayor's cadets.

Charlie has already joined me in representing the town by placing a wreath at the Vivary Park Memorial to commemorate VE Day, a moving and important occasion.

I look forward to working with all four cadets over the coming year.

I have chosen Taunton Opportunity Group as the mayor's charity for this year.

This wonderful local preschool supports children under five with special educational needs and disabilities, providing vital early years support for children and families.

As a charity-run organisation, it relies heavily on donations and grants, and I am determined to raise as much money as possible to support its important work.

The first few weeks of the mayoral year are always busy, and this year has certainly been no exception.

I have attended Mayor Making ceremonies in Axbridge, Wells, and Ilminster, whose towns share the same carnival circuit as Taunton.

As first-time mayors, we have already enjoyed sharing experiences and comparing notes as part of what is jokingly known as the "chain gang".

Taunton is twinned with Lisieux in Normandy and Königslutter in Germany, and on Thursday, May 14, we were delighted to welcome visitors from Lisieux to reconnect with host families and friends in the town.

As honorary president of the twinning link, I joined the deputy mayor of Lisieux, Corrine Lecourt, at a business breakfast hosted by the Taunton Chamber of Commerce and at a civic dinner later that evening.

We also placed wreaths at the Normandy Stone in remembrance of those lost in war.

The visit gave me a good opportunity to dust off my O-level French, with a little help from Google Translate along the way.

As my first official engagement, I attended the annual meeting of the Southwest Trefoil Guild at The Brewhouse Theatre, where I learned much more about their organisation and the fantastic opportunities they provide for members.

I also travelled to Okehampton for the 10 Tors Employer Day, where I learned more about the important role Reserve Forces play in supporting this inspiring event.

It was wonderful to meet and congratulate the team from Taunton's 41F RAF Air Cadets as they crossed the finish line and received their medals.

One of the recent highlights was visiting the new offices of Young Somerset on Castle Street for their opening ceremony.

I also carried out my very first official "cutting the ribbon" ceremony at Cullens At The Cabin next to the High Ropes in Vivary Park.

I made it to the top of the course, via the stairs rather than the ropes, complete with hard hat and harness, while my husband, the mayor's consort, was much braver and tackled the High Ropes course himself!

As I begin my mayoral year, I remain committed to serving the people of Manor and Tangier as their town councillor, alongside my work on the community and place and finance and governance committees and as Armed Forces champion.

It is also a great privilege to serve as mayor and chair the meetings of the full council.

I look forward to working with councillors, local organisations, and residents over the coming year to support our communities, celebrate our town, and build positively for the future.