Catching up with the Mayor of Deal

Cllr Mayor Oliver Richardson reviews the past 10 months with us as the 273rd Worshipful Town Mayor of Deal.

 

Elected on 29^th June 2023, CommunityAd had the pleasure of recently speaking with the Town Mayor of Deal, Cllr Oliver Richardson where he reviews his role, discusses the tight-knit community of Deal and shares his aims for 2024…

 

How would you review your time as Mayor of Deal over the past 10 months?

It’s been brilliant! Being elected to the position was a complete but very pleasant surprise, and my wife MaryAnn agreeing to be Mayoress was completely unexpected to me, she has been an absolutely wonderful support to me and Deal.

I have enjoyed all the Civic events I am asked to attend and events with the Cinque Ports, going out to visit them and showing off Deal as much as we can.

In Deal, my two big stand out moments so far have been Deal Pride which was a brilliant day. It was the first one in Deal and we all walked through town together, along the seafront to Walmer – everyone was happy and it was such a cheerful day.

The second highlight was Deal Carnival which was another superb evening when the whole of Deal came together, the town was packed – the fireworks at the end of the evening topped off what was a great week of Carnival events.

They are my two stand out events so far.

What do you enjoy most about the community of Deal and has your role as Mayor of Deal seen you look at the town differently in regards to the togetherness of local residents?

I didn’t realise how small Deal was in the sense of the community, it’s a really small, tight-knit community.

It’s through my time as Mayor that I have come to realize just how tight-knit it is and that everyone seems to know everybody and looks out for one another.

Ok, so sometimes we do fall out but that’s what happens with families and we do that as a community in Deal. We are a community, a family. At the end of the day, everyone is working for the same thing which is to make Deal better place to live.

Everyone is the same in my book so I don’t think I get treated at all differently as Mayor. When you walk in to a room, yes, you have the chain round your neck which does make it easier to make small talk, but once that’s over they just accept you as normal person and realise it’s just a man in a suit with a posh voice, who isn’t as bad as they all think!

That’s been borne out by the feedback and being asked back by organisers and groups and that’s great and I will help anyone. If anyone asks for the Mayor’s support and I am able to give it, then I will. And that’s what I love doing.

 

What are your aims as Mayor of Deal for 2024?

Without a doubt being Mayor gives you a unique perspective. I understand how to work with District Councillors and County Councillors and the Mayor of Deal doesn’t really have that much statutory power at all, so understanding those discussions in the upper tiers of public office is important as that is where the money is.

As a Town Council, we don’t have that sort of money but we can make those in the upper tiers look and see where they could spend it and to spend it here! It’s difficult as we know it gets concentrated elsewhere, but we are trying and I know surrounding areas need help but all I ask is that Deal gets a fair slice of the pie.

And, of course, the cost of living crisis is front and centre of everything and that doesn’t matter where you sit on the political spectrum.

We know there are areas that need more work and need more help than others but as a Town Council we don’t have that kind of money or the power to do that, but we lobby Dover District and Kent County Council to help.

Here in Deal we fund and support the Deal Warm Welcome which has been great this winter helping people out with a warm place to go if they couldn’t switch their heating on. And we have our grants system where people can apply for money to help them out and they are often community causes and of course more people do look out for each other. We have to work and try to make this cost of living crisis a thing of the past.

Being Mayor is very rewarding, but it’s hard work too! Most weekends you are out an about but I do have my Deputy Mayor, Cllr Adrian Friend for support, which is brilliant. It is great fun and such an honour.

 

And a message to future Mayors to come?

Enjoy! Enjoy and do as much as you are able to do to help Deal and the people of Deal.