Mayor of the Borough
A Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the Borough are elected every May, to represent the Council at civic functions and raise money for local good causes.
The current Mayor is Councillor Suzette Nicholson, and the current Deputy Mayor is Councillor Fiona Sacks.
- The Mayor
- The Deputy Mayor
- Charities
- Charity events
- Competitions
- Make a donation
- Arrange a visit
- Keep up to date
- Freedom of the Borough
- Contact
The Mayor, Councillor Suzette Nicholson
Suzette became a member of the Council in a by-election in October 2004 in Hampton Ward. She been elected six times to be a Councillor there. Different parts of the Borough have been her place of residence for her whole life.
By profession Suzette is a primary school teacher although she hasn't taught for some time now. She has been married for 45 years and has four grown-up children and two grandchildren.
During her time as a Councillor, Suzette chaired the Education and Children’s Scrutiny Committee, been Vice-Chair of the Education and Children’s Services Committee and been Chair of Corporate Parenting. She has also spent time on the Planning Committee and the Health and Wellbeing Board.
Suzette is a member of St Stephen's, East Twickenham. Her hobbies are gardening, knitting, and cooking.
The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Fiona Sacks
Deputy Mayor Cllr Fiona Sacks is a Liberal Democrat councillor for Barnes Ward, having been elected to the Council in 2022. She began her career in international PR before moving to the Civil Service where she worked for the Central Office of Information and then the Foreign and Commonwealth Office where she served for many years. More recently she became a postnatal coordinator for the national Childbirth Trust and also taught English as a foreign language at the Barnes Community Association English School. Barnes has been her home for over 25 years.
During her time as Councillor, Cllr Sacks has sat on both the Environment, Sustainability, Culture and Sports Committee as well as the Audit Committee. She also chairs the Leg O’Mutton Nature Reserve Management Advisory Committee in Barnes. She has a special interest in the environment, refugees, care for the elderly and new mothers.
She will serve her 12 month term alongside her husband Richard Sacks who will be her consort. The two have been married for 26 years and have two grown up children.
A Spanish speaker, Cllr Sacks’ hobbies include travel, (especially Spain/Latin America and South Africa where her husband is from), the arts, history, and her garden.
The Mayor’s charities
The Mayor's charities for 2023/2024 are:
SEEN
SEEN provides a safe space for those who are distressed and suffering with their mental and emotional wellbeing after experiencing pregnancy loss, miscarriage, stillbirth, ectopic/molar pregnancy, termination and baby loss.
Age UK Richmond Upon Thames
Age UK Richmond upon Thames is an independent local charity who have been working in the local community to help older people for over 50 years. They have 50 dedicated staff and over 100 volunteers helping to deliver services and activities for older people in this borough.
Charity events
The Mayor holds a number of events to raise funds for her chosen charities.
Competitions
The Mayor regularly runs competitions for residents to enter. Find out more about the Mayor's competitions.
Make a donation
You can make a donation to the Mayor's appeal fund.
You can also support the Mayor’s charities by attending one of our Mayor's charity events or entering a competition.
Arrange a visit
If you want the Mayor or the Deputy Mayor to attend your event, you will need to submit a request at least 14 days before the date of the function.
Keep up to date
There are a number of ways to find out what the Mayor is doing.
Freedom of the Borough
The Freedom of the Borough is the highest award that we can give and is an honour bestowed on very few people.
Contact
The Mayor's Office
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
York House
Richmond Road
Twickenham
TW1 3AA
Telephone: 020 8891 7123
Email: mayors.office@richmond.gov.uk
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