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Stotfold Platinum Jubilee in pictures Page 4,5 Your letters Page 6,7,8 Coffee Time

Coffee Time with Stotfold Mayor Steve Buck

Some of you may recall our popular ‘Coffee Time’ feature from some time ago where we interview members of our Stotfold community. It’s our chance to ask a few questions in order to learn more about them and the role they play. We have brought this feature with a special issue, featuring our newly elected Stotfold Mayor, Cllr Steve Buck.

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As some residents may not be familiar with you, can you give us a brief overview of how long you have lived in Stotfold

and how you came to settle here? I’ve been living in Stotfold for 7 years now having moved over here from Marston Moretaine and Stewartby. The lure here was the good transport links and the mix of rural and town life. One of the things we noticed early on was the community feel to the town and its friendly nature. Seeing such a great turn out for the recent Jubilee beacon lighting solidified this, making me immensely proud of our town. Having previously been a Parish Councillor in a slightly smaller village for over 10 years, I quickly noticed both communities have the same issues. After moving to Stotfold and seeing a Town Councillor vacancy, I thought I'd go along to the meetings - the next thing I knew I was co-opted as Mayor and here I am. What are you most looking forward to as you embrace your new role? Whilst previous Mayors have done a great job supporting our community, my goals for this year in celebration of the Jubilee are to further enhance our community and to drive forward our visions thus allowing the wider community to engage with the emerging future of the town. Key areas of interest are the Town Council’s interaction with local schools and the development of youth provisions for the town. I am also keen to develop the town’s commerce and speak to local businesses to promote apprenticeships, training and development opportunities for school leavers. The young people of Stotfold are amazing and allowing them the routes to develop careers in the locality would be great in order to keep them focused on staying here. I am very passionate about involving young adults and them taking ownership and responsibility for some of the projects coming up. Watch this space! What are your favourite things about our local community and why? I like the fact that even though we have developed into a sizeable town, we still have a village feel about us. Events such as the Mill Weekends, Firework displays, the Walking Market and the Scarecrow Festival bring the community together. As I have previously mentioned, community is a big passion of mine, as is driving forward a more cohesive community and prioritising things that really matter. For me a big issue in Stotfold is speeding. The town has a 20mph limit and most of the time there are a number of vehicle drivers well in excess of this. This issue has been mentioned by the pupils at Etonbury Academy in recent conversations and I know it is an issue which concerns them also. I enjoy the amount of clubs we have in the town and will look to help and promote them where necessary. We also have some great businesses in Stotfold, not only the shops in the 'High Street' but also those spread about the town, including the Fen End Industrial Estate. Further to this, we have large numbers of local tradesmen/services supporting the town and beyond - they too have found the support of the local community, especially since the pandemic. The wonderful Need Project and Good Neighbour Group and the work of the local churches is also amazing. Another passion of mine through my day job, is fire safety and am looking to engage with the Fire and Rescue service on delivering some information to our children on fire and water safety ahead of the summer. Part of this engagement will also look at careers in the Fire Service. I am currently working on how best to deliver this with them at present.

How is the best way local residents can get in touch with you if they wanted to raise a concern, or discuss a particular

local issue with you? There are a number of ways to contact a Councillor, we either have direct email /telephone numbers or are contactable via the Town Council offices at the Greenacre Centre. My contact email address like my co councillors is on the council website.

How do you like to relax and unwind and keep on top of the work/life balance?

I love to relax and unwind..... I do have a hectic work life, however doing my bit for the community is a priority. I like to spend my weekends finding enjoyable things to do with my family, although trying to tear my 14 year old son away from his Xbox is sometimes a feat in itself! Having recently been elected what are your plans for the coming year?I have been thinking about my chosen charities and this year I have chosen to collect for both the Need Project and Motor Neurone Disease. Both charities are worthy of the generosity from the Mayors collections, I have had family members affected by MND and feel the necessity to support research into this is a priority as the effects from such an atrocious disease can cause so much heartache for patients families and friends. Locally, the Need Project does a fantastic job supporting families in need so I would be looking to support this local group also.

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