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Mayor of Surrey Heath

Councillor Craig Fennell became Surrey Heath's 37th Mayor at Surrey Heath Borough Council's annual meeting on Wednesday, 13 May 2009.

First elected to the council in 2007 to represent the Mytchett and Deepcut Ward, he has served on various committees, including the licensing committee, external partnerships scrutiny committee and was vice-chairman of the leisure and environment scrutiny committee.

Cllr Fennell is also the chairman of Frimley Green Football Club, which he has been involved with for the past 16 years. He is keen to promote facilities like this in our community to give children the opportunity to develop their sporting talent. The club also supports the local charity Open Mind.

Cllr Fennell has lived in Frimley Green almost all his life and was a pupil at Frimley Green Church of England School and then Robert Haining School in Mytchett, which now forms the Basingstoke Canal facility and Mytchett Heath.

Cllr Fennell and his partner Penny, who will support him as Mayoress in his mayoral duties have one daughter, 11 year old Sophie.

Cllr Fennell has particular concern for the elderly residents of the borough and feels that age should bring respect, which sometimes he feels is lacking in modern Britain. The Mayor will be raising money for many good causes in the borough during his term of office and aims to support voluntary groups and local charities. Specifically, he will be raising funds for Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice, which looked after both Craig and Penny's late Mothers and the local branch of Macmillan Cancer Support, that is currently raising money to support another Macmillan nurse at Frimley Park Hospital.

Cllr Fennel is delighted to have the opportunity to serve as Mayor of the Borough of Surrey Heath and looks forward to a challenging and rewarding year.

Deputy Mayor of the Borough for 2009/10 is Cllr John May, who has served on the council since 2003. Cllr May represents the Watchetts Ward and dedicates much of his time to the charity he runs in his late daughter's name 'The Lisa May Foundation' who died in the Asian Tsunami five years ago.

Historical Information
The word "Mayor" and "Major" derive from the same Latin word, Magnus, meaning great. The office of Mayor, together with the Domesday Book and the feudal system, were brought to this country by the Normans as such an office had existed on the continent at least since the fifth century.

The office of Head of the Corporation is as old as the particular Borough itself, but in many towns the name of "Mayor" for this official is, comparatively speaking, an innovation which was introduced by the Municipal Corporation Act 1835.

1199 The first "Mayor Town" in England, Thetford, established (although the City of London Mayoralty dates from 1192).

Middle Ages Position similar in many ways to that of today, ie acknowledged as "First Citizen" of the town. The Mayor would normally preside in the Borough's civil and criminal courts.

Tudor The powers of the Mayor as Chief Magistrate (sometimes the sole Magistrate) greatly increased. Magistrates in this period were the "maids of all work" and, as a result, their personal importance was expanded.

17th Century In many Boroughs the Mayor had become all-powerful.

19th Century The Mayor could be the centre of all political activity with the terms of office lasting often two to four years. The political role of the Mayor, rather than the social and ceremonial role, was more important in this era than it is today.

20th Century The political role of the Mayor diminishes and the social and ceremonial role becomes more emphasised.

It was not until 1974 that it became compulsory for Mayors to be selected from members of the Council.