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 2025/26 is Cllr Duncan Pascoe, alongside his deputy, Cllr Abdul Bashar.
“Hello, my name is Duncan and I am delighted to be your new 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 6 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 two years, serving as the Deputy 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 2 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 Dame Vera Lynn Children's Charity to support during his first term of office:
“I’m pleased to announce my charity this year is the Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity. They are a local charity focussed on supporting children under five with cerebral palsy and other motor learning disabilities. They provide a range of therapy, including physiotherapy, speech and language and other support services. Importantly, they provide wrap-around care for the families, where parents may find it difficult to get the specialist support needed of their child. I’ve been a supporter of the charity for a while as their services were critical in supporting my nephew who was born with cerebral palsy. Fundraising for this charity will allow them to continue the excellent work they do for children and families in our area.”
Glenys Creese, CEO of Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity said: “We are so grateful to Cllr. Pascoe for selecting Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity to be this year’s Mayoral charity. With no statutory funding, every penny matters as it can be life-changing for the 80+ children we support each week. As well as raising vital funds, this is also a wonderful opportunity to put a spotlight on our work so more families who need our help can reach out to us. We very much look forward to building a closer relationship with Haywards Heath Town Council, the local community and we are excited to see what the year ahead will bring.
Dame Vera Lynn Children's Charity (DVLCC) supports children under-five with cerebral palsy, chromosome abnormalities and rare genetic disorders. The charity is the largest organisation of its kind in the UK, providing a holistic service including physiotherapy/conductive education, music therapy, speech and language therapy, rebound therapy, hydrotherapy and Portage accredited home-play sessions. Haywards Heath Mayor, Duncan Pascoe’s decision to choose DVLCC as his charity of the year will help to raise vital funds to support families across Sussex and beyond."
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.
