THE new mayor of Kendal has made promoting physical activity a priority of his year in office.

Liberal Democrat Alvin Finch, who has replaced Guy Tirvengadum, is a former professional boxer and is now a prominent referee - having worked at the London 2012 Olympics as well as the Commonwealth Games in Australia last year.

“My theme for the year is ‘active Kendal’. That’s mentally and physically, so promoting and making everybody want to participate,” said Councillor Finch, 54.

He added that helping the homeless was his “voluntary passion”, and one of the charities he has chosen to support as mayor is the non-profit, pay-as-you-feel Kendal People’s Cafe on Blackhall Road, which helps feed the vulnerable. The other is the Teenage Art Group run by Space2Create on Kendal’s Aynam Road.

Reflecting on his appointment, Cllr Finch, who works as a community support worker, said he hoped to be a “community mayor” to Kendal.

“I work in care. I live on a housing estate,” he added.

“I’m a genuine working man, and I want to be a genuine working mayor.”