Annual Council 2019 – Mayor Ed Kelly
Last night (Wednesday) saw the first since the elections and the annual meeting of High Peak Borough Council.
The first item to be considered at the annual council 2019 was the election of the chair of the council and Mayor of the High Peak for the forthcoming year, and I was proud and privileged to propose and nominate Councillor Ed Kelly as the Mayor.
Ed has been the Councillor for Hadfield North since 2015, and below are the details of my speech proposing him :
Madam Mayor,
I first got to know Ed in around 2014, when he was starting to get involved with local politics, after almost a lifetime working on the other side of the fence as an officer.
Ed was raised on Chapel Lane in Hadfield, by his parents and two sisters, he attended St Andrews Primary School and Glossop Comprehensive before spending time at university including Swansea University where he gained a post-graduate certificate in Education, Teaching and Youth Work, Humanities and Youth and Community Work.
Ed has spent the early part of his working life working in London as a youth officer, but returning to the North, with time spent in Stockport, from 2002 to 2007 Ed worked for Oldham Council as part of the youth service management team, before moving across to Rochdale as head of the youth service between 2007 to 2013.
Ed has also spent time supporting future generations by been an external examiner for Huddersfield University.
During his time with Rochdale, Ed carried out a variety of community and youth initiatives including launching youth buses with a range of equipment on board, and training and workshop activities aimed at preventing ASB. Ed also spent some time supporting a boxercise project aimed at bringing together diverse communities – although I’m unclear as to how much boxercise Ed did himself.
Ed currently works for the bureau in Glossop as their Volunteer Connections Lead, having responsibility for the recruitment, retention, training and development of volunteers – so don’t be surprised if any of you receive a tap on the shoulder for the Mayor’s Charities – I suspect those skills of roping folk will be handy.
Ed is also the Chair of the PC refurb group which refurbishes old computers and gives them to those in need both groups and individuals, and previously had a ‘public health’ funded role supporting building self-esteem and confidence in those furthest from work.
Ed is married to Linda with three children Shaun, Kia and Emma, and while his youngest Shaun is just entering those potential rebellious teenage years, I’m sure he will along with rest of the family be roped in and involved in some way.
Since taking over as councillor for Hadfield North in 2015, Ed has endeavoured to further the work of his predecessors tackling a range of issues from the everyday housing queries that come up to getting bollards replaced, benches installed and every councillor’s favourite tackling dog fouling.
Ed has also worked with many local community groups including the Hadfield Carnival, Bellies not bins, Hadfield Lantern Parade to name but a few and I sure with both his working role and Mayoral role intertwining he will use the opportunity to highlight many of the volunteers working across the High Peak.
Ed has even found the time to develop a keen green finger by establishing the Hadfield Community Garden on Chapel Walk, along with organising and supporting with several local community groups, various community clean-up sessions not just within in his ward but encouraging nearby neighbours to start there own.
Backed up by his practical action around litter picks and the community garden, Ed is a campaigner on environmental issues from fracking to plastics, a theme I am sure he will want to explore working with environmental groups across the High Peak during his Mayoral year amongst the many other issues that come up.
Finally (you will be glad to hear) I’m sure Ed will want to highlight during his year youth involvement, and in a timely alinement as this week is Mental Hearth week, mental health issues.
Madam Mayor with his strong history on both sides of the metaphorical fence, of officer and councillor and his current heavy volunteer involvement I sure will you will agree Cllr Ed Kelly will be an ideal candidate to take over as Mayor for the forthcoming year.
Ed was unanimously elected as the Mayor and is pictured above in the full Mayoral regalia and his wife Linda will act as the Mayoress. Cllr Paul Hardy from Old Glossop was elected as the Deputy Mayor (and is pictured right with the Mayor and Mayoress).
You can view a few more pictures from after the meeting at :
https://www.gallery.anthonymckeown.photography/Annual-Council-2019/