Hythe Town Council meetings are generally calm and collaborative these days. That is because we have 16 councillors, who seem to find a lot of agreement, not least because 12 of them are Green, two are Independents and two are Liberal Democrats.

This makes chairing council meetings much easier for me. To be  honest, becoming a Mayor was never on my bucket list, especially seeing myself as fundamentally more of a backroom worker.

How things change! Normally the previous year’s Deputy Mayor succeeds to the Mayor’s chair, but this year was different as the DM decided not to stand and I was prevailed upon to take the role.

However, I was already interested in the formidable task of trying to retain the Hythe Youth Centre in the wake of Kent County Council axing all funding to such centres. I figured that a Mayor may have more clout to raise funds and so it has proved. There is now £17000 in the Mayor’s Benefit Fund with promises of ongoing financial support from members of the community.

On May 16 2024 life changed overnight for me with my election as Hythe mayor, suddenly finding myself at frequent meetings and events where I was expected to speak, a prospect that filled me with some anxiety.  For the preceding 20 years I had worked with clients on a one to one basis: a fairly solitary occupation which involved more listening than talking, so it was a contrast for me to address the council and speak at public events.

My main mission as Mayor has been to help secure the continuance of the Hythe Youth Centre, which is such a vital resource for our young people. The vision is for it to thrive, not just survive in a hand to mouth existence. This comes under the umbrella of my Kind Hythe Project which includes Kindness to the Planet, part of which is about highlighting the environmental damage to the environment by the fashion industry and encouraging people to shun new clothing by swapping clothes, buying from charity and pre-loved shops and by keeping and wearing the clothes they already own.

We recently hosted our first pre-loved fashion show in the Town Hall where councillors and locals showed off their favourite pre-loved garments on the catwalk, accompanied by signs spelling out some of the stark facts about the fashion industry as well as some of the ways in which we can change our behaviour. We have a great team of experienced helpers with a range of expertise, and the event was great fun for all.

Kindness is a thread that can connect all of us and help heal divisions by encouraging acceptance of each other’s differences. We have all witnessed the rising levels of polarization and intolerance in society and the distressing consequences of this. The Kindness movement has been gathering momentum for a while and Hythe has celebrated World Kindness Day since 2019 by having stalls with a variety of small gifts donated by the community for us to hand out to passers by which they either keep for themselves or pass on to others as a kind act.

Seven months on, I am growing more accustomed to the Mayor’s role — from laying wreaths, to discovering in pouring rain, the magnificent beauty and peace of the stunning Shorncliffe Military Cemetery, to attending many community events, including the installation of the new Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and the unveiling of the beautiful ceramic murals now adorning and surrounding the Hythe Bandstand. My experience has meant I have encountered many members of the community I might never have known in my previous life.

I have learned that there is even more kindness and generosity in the community than I had dreamt, but also how people can be upset if some things are changed, however seemingly superficially.

 

I have visited schools, a guide camp where I even learned Bhangra dancing and have twice presented a delightful little boy with a Wheels of Time award for visiting 10 and then 20 museums. I love these occasions!

 

I have been amazed and humbled by how so many people value the presence of a Mayor. Certainly there have been many challenges which have facilitated my own growth as a person by widening my perspectives on the community and by allowing myself to be more visible.

 

If during my term as Mayor, I am seen as having worked positively for the community of Hythe, it will have been all worthwhile.

Councillor Penny Graham kicks off her term as Hythe Mayor by speaking at a Surfers Against Sewage event.