Outgoing mayor for Leamington, Councillor Judith Clarke reflects on her recent term
Outgoing mayor for Royal Leamington Spa, Cllr Judith Clarke, bid farewell to her mayoral term at the Town Council's annual meeting on Thursday 15 May.
This marked the end of Cllr Clarke's second term as mayor, her first being from 2013 to 2014.
Reflecting on both terms, she noted they were surprisingly similar in many ways.
One notable difference, however, was in the amount raised for her chosen charity.
During her previous term, Cllr Clarke raised £10,000 for the charities she was supporting.
This year, she raised a total of £6,500 for her chosen charity, Breakthrough Type 1, a leading global charity focused on type 1 diabetes.
The charity works to promote access to better treatments and technologies for people living with type one diabetes, while funding international research aimed at curing, treating, and preventing the condition and its complications.
Cllr Clarke acknowledged that the drop in fundraising was likely due to the rising cost of living, which has significantly impacted the local community and reduced the disposable income available for charitable giving.
Her choice of charity this year held personal significance.
"I was particularly concerned to support it because of my grandchildren, and there are about five million people in the UK who have diabetes," she explained, referring to two of her grandchildren who live with type 1 diabetes.
Among the highlights of her second term, Cllr Clarke cited a trip to Semma, Leamington's twin town in France, as a "really good experience."
She also spoke warmly about her collaboration with local charities, including A Band of Brothers, a non-profit that supports young men involved in the criminal justice system.
An especially memorable aspect of her tenure was the opportunity to engage with Leamington's local business community.
"I really enjoy meeting entrepreneurs and business people," she said.
Attending events was also a highlight for Cllr Clarke, including VE Day, Remembrance Sunday, opening the new Leamington Wickes store and opticians Sukhi Eyes, speaking at Leamington Pride and attending an event about how AI is being introduced in learning establishments at a conference called Future Forward, amongst others.
Cllr Clarke recalled the 2024 Christmas Lights Switch-On as one of the more messy experiences of her term, where things didn't quite go to plan.
"It was absolutely pouring and bucketing down," she said of the event.
Typically, an entertainer performs before the mayor gives a speech and leads the countdown.
But this time, a mix-up disrupted the plan.
The entertainer, unaware of the official schedule, launched into a countdown mid-performance.
"He just said, 'Three, two, one' and all the lights came on," Cllr Clarke recalled.
Soaking wet and left standing at the podium with no formal role left to play, she described the moment as "a bit of a fiasco."
Another unexpected challenge was sartorial – keeping a smart wardrobe suitable for the many public engagements.
"Trying to make sure that you've got something to wear that's smart every time you go to an event can be challenging, because you can't really go in jeans," she explained.
Cllr Clarke added that wearing the mayoral chain in the summer could be challenging as it is "quite heavy".
Reflecting on the lessons she learned during her time as mayor, Cllr Clarke spoke of Leamington's rich and diverse community.
"You go from one engagement to the other, and you do meet so many different people, and the absolute dedication of people and their enthusiasm for what they are doing in the community, is very impressive."
Looking ahead, Cllr Clarke is excited to spend more time with her grandchildren and is considering some travel abroad.
To her successor, Cllr Ruggy Singh, Cllr Clarke offered some advice: "I think my advice would be, you need to be really organised if you're going to be mayor, because you need to sort of organise your life around it."
She also recommended always having a speech ready, recalling a moment when she was asked to speak at an event with no prior notice or preparation.
In her parting message to the people of Leamington, she said: "I just want to say how lucky we are, how really lucky we are, because this town is so beautiful—the parks, the beautiful architecture.
"I've found the community to be generous and vibrant and a very interesting town to live in and to be mayor in."
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