Councillor Billy Drummond was elected Mayor of Newbury at the Council’s Annual Meeting on 4 May 2021. He takes over from Councillor Elizabeth O’Keefe who was warmly thanked by the Council for her exceptional service as Mayor over the past 2 years.
Billy has lived and worked in Newbury as a head chef at Newbury Racecourse and also run a successful outside catering business for the last 30 years. He has represented Greenham Parish Council since 2000, and been a member of West Berkshire Council since 2003. He has been a Governor at the Willows School for 18 years, served as a Trustee of St Bartholomew’s School since 2005, served as a Director of Greenham Business Park since 2005 and served as a member of Greenham and Crookham Common Commission since 2008.
Councillor Drummond cares passionately about the disadvantaged and the impact that austerity has on them. The Council supported the Mayor’s chosen Charity for the year, Speakability, a local charity which helps people to recover after strokes.
He has been married for 41 years to Sharon, a mental Health nurse who works locally for an older persons mental health team. They have 3 children and 3 grandchildren. Sharon will serve as Lady Mayoress for the year.
The Mayor’s Chaplain will be Revd. Becky Bevan, vicar at St. George’s Church, Wash Common.
After declaring his acceptance of office, Councillor Drummond said, “It is a great honour for me to be Mayor of Newbury, a great town in which to live and work.”
Councillor Gary Norman was elected Deputy Mayor. Cllr Norman is also a governor at St Bartholomew’s School and a volunteer at Speakability and at Eight Bells for Mental Health, as well as studying for an Open University degree in astronomy. Gary’s main passions as a Councillor are mental health, youth issues, inclusivity and supporting the vulnerable, as well as the protection of Newbury’s heritage.
The Annual meeting was held virtually but the Council is planning a mayor-making ceremony to take place in the Corn exchange on Sunday 27 June.
