TOWN MAYOR
The Town Mayor is elected by the Town Councillors annually and holds office from the Full Council meeting held in early May until the following year. The Town Mayor has the responsibility to promote and uphold the character of Haywards Heath and encourage public involvement in the Council's activities as well as the duties of presiding over meetings of Full Council and of representing the town at Civic and ceremonial functions. The Mayor also has the opportunity to raise funds during the Year of Office for his/her named charity.
The Haywards Heath Town Mayor for the Municipal Year 2026/27 is Cllr Duncan Pascoe, alongside his deputy, Cllr Abdul Bashar.
“Hello, my name is Duncan and I am delighted to be your Town Mayor. Haywards Heath is a fantastic place to live, we have a really caring and active community that I’m so pleased to be a part of. I have lived in Haywards Heath for 7 years, although I grew up in Horsham and would visit my father who lived in Haywards Heath, so I’ve always been familiar with the town.
I have been a town councillor for the last three years, serving as your Deputy and then Town Mayor. It’s been a fantastic experience, I’ve really taken the opportunity to get more involved in the community and it’s fortunate that Haywards Heath is such a welcoming place. Some of what I have enjoyed most over the last 3 years is getting see all the good that goes on in our town; we have some brilliant local community groups, charities and small businesses.
As Mayor, I really want to make sure I’m putting a spotlight on the people in our community that help our town to thrive. There are also some key areas I would like to focus on, namely supporting families, championing local businesses and boosting community arts and culture.
Ultimately, the Mayor is the number one advocate for our town and I hope to be doing that in as many ways as possible. I encourage you to reach out to me if you have ideas or events that you think will make our town the best place to live.”
INVITING THE MAYOR TO YOUR FUNCTION
The Town Mayor likes to support as many of the local community organisations as possible. If you would like the Mayor to attend or open or appear at your event, for example a summer fete, AGM, concert or play, or to open a new building or business, please use the submission form below.
THE MAYOR'S CHARITY
Duncan has chosen Kangaroos Mid Sussex to support during his second term of office:
“I'm really excited to announce that local charity Kangaroos will be the charity I'm supporting this year. Their core service is providing activity clubs to young people with learning disabilities.
Young people deserve to have fun, have good experiences and make friends, irrespective of learning disabilities and complex needs. Kangaroos enables that by connecting young people who have additional needs and provides support and enrichment through activity clubs. These activities are delivered by a fantastic team that are passionate about supporting young people and helping them be the best they can be.
All the fundraising we do this year will be to help Kangaroos deliver their much needed services to families across Haywards Heath and beyond. I'm really looking forward to supporting them and being involved in all the amazing work they do!”
Emma Hunt, CEO of Kangaroos said: “Kangaroos is absolutely thrilled to be chosen as the Mayor’s charity for this year. Kangaroos does such vital work at the heart of the learning disability community in Mid Sussex. We provide a lifeline for children, young people and adults, providing social opportunities many take for granted - from shopping trips, days out and the simple joy of a night at the pub.
Every penny raised through the Mayor's fundraising campaign this year will help Kangaroos support families in Haywards Heath and beyond that would like to access our service. Thank you to Duncan and the team for recognising the importance of what we do helping us make a difference to the local community."
MAYOR EVENTS
The Mayor of Haywards Heath holds a small number of events, which are to raise funds for the Mayor's charities. We will publish details of any forthcoming events on this page.
event sponsorship
The Mayor is looking for sponsors to make their charity fundraising events possible. Packages available at a selection of costs. If you can help or to find out more email imogen.wilson@haywardsheath.gov.uk.
