Councillor Doug Rathbone selected as Kendal's mayor for second year

Councillor Doug Rathbone was selected as Kendal’s mayor for a second year at Kendal Town Hall on Thursday.

Councillor Julia Dunlop was selected as deputy mayor.

PICTURED: Deputy Mayor, Cllr Julia Dunlop and consort Jim Dunlop

“It’s not about me, it’s not about the bling, it’s not about the office, it’s about the people that we meet and who make Kendal,” he said.

“It’s about fulfilling that first year and what we couldn’t do and give those charities, organisations and individuals that public recognition.

“And it’s great to be able to go out again in Kendal over the coming year and meet with the people who make Kendal such a great place and who give so much of their time and their ideas and their heart to the town.”

Cllr Rathbone, who has been a town councillor and district councillor since 2018 and will also represent Kendal South on the new Westmorland and Furness Council, has kept the same theme for his second term as mayor- ‘Kendal together’.

And his charities continue to be Christians Against Poverty, which aims to lift people out of debt and poverty, and Well Communities, which supports people recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.

HAPPY: Mayor Doug Rathbone and consort Sally Johnson

Cllr Rathbone said another year provides an opportunity to properly showcase these organisations and other worthy causes in the town, after many fundraising and town events, such as the Christmas lights switch on, had to be cancelled or scaled-down due to Covid or poor weather.

“It’s going to be more of the same this year, but we’re going to be able to do it in a far better way,” he said.

“I wanted to have the same theme of Kendal together, I wanted to have that theme last year because we were coming out of the pandemic.

“And if there’s one good thing the mayoral office can do is bring the town together.

“The real joy is being involved with local organisations, charities and community events.

“I want to give people the chance to publicise their events, to publicise what their charities are doing.”

The mayor also plans to build on Kendal’s relationship with its twin towns Rinteln, in Germany and Killarney, in Ireland.

He hopes the town can put on a number of events to celebrate the upcoming anniversary of the town’s twinning.

“Often these things need refreshing and reinvigorating, and now is a good opportunity to do that,” he said.

“Rinteln has a new mayor and because of Covid we haven’t been able to meet with them and we’d love to get our relationship closer to Rinteln, which has been a lovely personal relationship in the past.

“And we’d love to get some links firmed up with Killarney.”

A MAYOR has spoken of his excitement at being able to shine a light on the people who make his town ‘such a great place’ for another year.

Councillor Doug Rathbone was selected as Kendal’s mayor for a second year at Kendal Town Hall on Thursday.

Councillor Julia Dunlop was selected as deputy mayor.

“It’s not about me, it’s not about the bling, it’s not about the office, it’s about the people that we meet and who make Kendal,” he said.

“It’s about fulfilling that first year and what we couldn’t do and give those charities, organisations and individuals that public recognition.

“And it’s great to be able to go out again in Kendal over the coming year and meet with the people who make Kendal such a great place and who give so much of their time and their ideas and their heart to the town.”

Cllr Rathbone, who has been a town councillor and district councillor since 2018 and will also represent Kendal South on the new Westmorland and Furness Council, has kept the same theme for his second term as mayor- ‘Kendal together’.

And his charities continue to be Christians Against Poverty, which aims to lift people out of debt and poverty, and Well Communities, which supports people recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.

Cllr Rathbone said another year provides an opportunity to properly showcase these organisations and other worthy causes in the town, after many fundraising and town events, such as the Christmas lights switch on, had to be cancelled or scaled-down due to Covid or poor weather.

“It’s going to be more of the same this year, but we’re going to be able to do it in a far better way,” he said.

“I wanted to have the same theme of Kendal together, I wanted to have that theme last year because we were coming out of the pandemic.

“And if there’s one good thing the mayoral office can do is bring the town together.

“The real joy is being involved with local organisations, charities and community events.

“I want to give people the chance to publicise their events, to publicise what their charities are doing.”

The mayor also plans to build on Kendal’s relationship with its twin towns Rinteln, in Germany and Killarney, in Ireland.

He hopes the town can put on a number of events to celebrate the upcoming anniversary of the town’s twinning.

“Often these things need refreshing and reinvigorating, and now is a good opportunity to do that,” he said.

“Rinteln has a new mayor and because of Covid we haven’t been able to meet with them and we’d love to get our relationship closer to Rinteln, which has been a lovely personal relationship in the past.

“And we’d love to get some links firmed up with Killarney.”