Mayor of Ashford aims to continue supporting our young and older generation in the borough

This summer saw the re-election of Beaver Ward Member Cllr Lyn Suddards as the Mayor of Ashford, following confirmation at a Mayor Making ceremony held at an Ashford Borough Council Full Council meeting in May.

Raised from a military family and having lived in Malaysia & Hong Kong for long periods of her childhood, Cllr Suddards started her career by training as a general nurse and then a mental health nurse and psychodrama psychotherapist.

After 35 years in the NHS she retired to Ashford from London in 2010 and visited Cameroon, annually for five years, teaching treatment for mental illness in remote villages where she was supported by St Mary’s Church and residents of Ashford through fundraising. 

In 2019, Cllr Suddards was selected by the Ashford Labour Party to represent Beaver Ward and was successfully elected to Ashford Borough Council in 2019 and again in 2023, before becoming the Mayor of Ashford in 2024/25.

After helping to raise over £16,500 for Sk8side Youth Centre during her first term, Lyn’s chosen charities this year are Motor Neurone Disease Association and Alzheimer’s Research UK.

As Lyn explains: “I have chosen the Motor Neurone Disease Association as my charity because of Alex Ward, who was elected as a councillor alongside me in 2019. He was diagnosed and died within 12 months. I’m doing this as a tribute to him and his parents for the 5th anniversary of his death.”

“Meeting someone with MND as a young nurse and to lose a dear young councillor to this disease was devastating for his friends and family. Only funding for research can change this.”

“I have chosen Alzheimer's Research UK because my father died from this - he and my mother had Vascular dementia. I feel an urgency to promote this charity for fundraising.”

“Research could change our fates. If we invest in research and educate ourselves now, we can change the future for ourselves and the youths in our community.”

Cllr Suddards is planning to continue visiting each ward in the borough and is looking forward to participate in as many events as possible and wants to continue to build on all the plans and projects from her previous term. 

Lyn continues, “It is a fantastic time to be living in Ashford at the moment with a much more ethnically diverse community than ever before, which is a joy to see. I hope that over my term this change will continue to be reflected in the civic and ceremonial activities that will take place.”

The Mayor will be supported by her husband and Mayor’s consort, Cllr Charles Suddards who was elected to the council in 2017 representing Victoria Ward and was re-elected in 2019 and 2023. 

They have two children and four grandchildren together and people still approach Charles, remembering him as the ‘lovely man’ from the ‘Olde Sweet Shoppe’ which was open for many years in Ashford’s high street. Lyn will be supported by his love and humour. The lease of the shop ended during the pandemic and did not reopen after 10 years. 

To all residents of the borough

“I am delighted to be re-elected as your Mayor for a second term. I have promised my family not to skydive this year but I am open to fundraising/sponsorship suggestions.

Last year I did 210 events, 134 within the borough of Ashford and 37 meetings on behalf of our community. Keep inviting me to all your wonderful events and let’s continue to show of the best of Ashford.

“Lots of people are doing many things in small and large ways to make Ashford a better place to live. If you know someone you believe just goes that extra mile, please write to me via the Mayor’s office, so that I can present them with a Mayor’s framed certificate either here in the Mayor’s parlour for afternoon tea or have a surprise event which I will be happy to attend.

I hope as Mayor I can be an example as to why we should keep a town Mayor within Local Government Reorganisation plans.

Do continue to stop and say hello if you see me out and about, which will most likely be with my Cocker Spaniel Benji!”

Also confirmed at the Mayor Making ceremony was the appointment of Cllr Matthew Forest as the new Deputy Mayor of Ashford, representing the Ashford Borough Ward of Repton.