It has been a great honour to be your town mayor since May of this year and it has certainly been a whirlwind of activity and events so far, writes Whitehill & Bordon town mayor Cllr Leeroy Scott.

Thank you for inviting me to join you in celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and I have enjoyed taking part in school and community events.

It was with great sadness that I heard of the Queen’s death and it was a privilege to represent the town in marking her passing and announcing the succession of King Charles.

Recently it was my pleasure to switch on the Christmas lights display funded by the town council.

Even though we have fewer lights this year to try to save on costs, they are looking wonderful during the cold winter evenings.

It has been wonderful, after the previous two years where many of us felt isolated and alone, to come together as a community on so many occasions.

The experiences will create memories that will last for me, and I am sure for many of you, well beyond this year.

I would also like to give special thanks to the town council officers for the tireless work they have done this year, often behind the scenes, to ensure the town council runs smoothly.

I am particularly grateful to Helen, my PA, who joined the team just this year and has already shown great dedication and patience as she has me as her first mayor to support.

I must say a big thank you to my fellow councillors and the leader of the council, Andy Tree. It’s been a pleasure working with you all this year.

I would like to welcome all the people who have made our town their home in 2022.

I am proud that our community is a welcoming one which values diversity and embraces people: young and old, rich or poor, from all faiths, cultures and nationalities.

We have forged even closer ties with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, opened our homes to Ukrainian refugees and supported neighbours in challenging times.

My heartfelt thanks go to the many good and kind people of our community who give their time and resources to others in need, often without fuss or fanfare.

With this in mind, I would like you to join me on February 16 to fundraise for my charities, Bordon food bank and Chloe and Sophie’s Special Ears Fund, at my Valentine’s Gala with a live band, food and a bar.

Places can be booked at https://bit.ly/leeroygala

Please continue to take care of yourselves, look after others and have a healthy and happy Christmas and new year.

God bless.