Gateshead’s new Mayor, Councillor Joe Mitchinson, was formerly inaugurated as Mayor today at Gateshead’s annual council meeting, for the second time. Fellow councillor Malcolm Brain was elected as Deputy Mayor during the same ceremony.
Councillor Mitchinson has a strong track record of taking on civic roles for Gateshead - he was Deputy Mayor last year to Councillor Michael Hood and took up his own chains of office in 2005.
He also undertook mayoral duties for a while in 2009 when the then Mayor, Councillor Maureen Chaplin, sadly died from the rare cancer Mesothelioma.
Councillor Mitchinson said: “I am delighted and honoured to be Mayor of Gateshead for the second time. One of the best things about being Mayor is that I get to meet so many local people from all over Gateshead as well as taking pride in representing the borough (hopefully soon the ‘city’) of Gateshead at official events and functions.”
Gateshead has had a Mayor since 1835 when it became a borough council. The Mayor carries out many important ceremonial duties, presiding over full meetings of the council and representing the borough at civic functions in Gateshead and beyond.
During a typical year, the Mayor will attend around 1,000 functions, inside and outside the borough - almost three per day. These can range from receiving a Royal visit or foreign delegation to visiting a primary school, a local community centre or a couple celebrating a diamond wedding anniversary.
Councillor Mitchinson has nominated MacMillan Nurses, St Chad’s Community Project, The Army Benevolent Fund and Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund as his chosen charities; the last of which was chosen in honour of Maureen Chaplin.