Sarah is ‘deeply honoured’ to be mayor of Sudbury

The new mayor of Sudbury said she is “very humbled and deeply honoured” to have been chosen for the role – just two years after first joining the town council.

Sarah Page, who previously served as deputy mayor for the 2016/17 council year, was unanimously elected to the top role at the annual town meeting in the town hall on Tuesday night.

She swaps roles with the outgoing mayor, Susan Ayres, who will now move into the deputy position.

Mrs Page, a resident of the Sudbury area for the last 30 years, admitted it would be “a big learning curve” to take on the role, but said she was looking forward to an exciting year for the town, and hoped to see progress on issues like the ongoing bus station proposals.

“I see it as an absolute privilege to represent Sudbury. I am really thrilled and excited,” she told the Free Press.

“I’m hoping that things will move forward and that we can all together, as councillors, make some important decisions for the town.”

Mrs Page also announced her three chosen charities for the upcoming mayoral year which she would be raising money for, explaining they were causes very close to her.

They are the Kernos Centre, the Richmond Fellowship and the Suffolk Befriending Scheme – all three of which work within Sudbury to provide mental health care, as well as services to protect people against loneliness and social isolation.

“I think good mental health provision is absolutely crucial,” she said. “Getting good help is vital because it impacts people in all walks of life.”

She added that her ideas for fundraising included a photographic competition involving local schools, and a mayor’s coffee morning.

Mrs Page paid tribute to Mrs Ayres for her work, stating she had worked “tirelessly and passionately” over the last 12 months, and looked forward to continuing their working partnership for the upcoming 2017/18 council year.

After taking on the deputy mayor’s role at Tuesday’s meeting, Mrs Ayres said she would continue to do her best to support Sudbury, and thanked everybody who had helped during her mayoral year.

“All the people I have met, the voluntary groups and all the different clubs – we love each other,” she said.

“It’s a lovely town. I love it dearly and we really do care for one another.”

She also praised the generosity of the town’s residents for helping to raise almost £1,000 for her three chosen charities, St Nicholas Hospice Care, 72 North Street and the Kernos Centre.