WARRINGTON’S Mayor Geoff Settle is delighted to have raised an estimated £10,000 for his chosen charities as his year in office comes to an end next Monday.
The money will be shared equally between Autistic UK, BipolarUK, John Holt Cancer Foundation Support and MacIntyre.
Geoff, who also brought the curtain down on his poltical career in the recent elections said: “In these hard times raising any money for charity is a tough ask. We no longer have a Mayor’s Charity Committee as this was closed many years ago. I am therefore really thankful and humbled by the contributions and
support that the people of and organisations in Warrington have made during the year.”
He said he had thoroughly enjoyed working with and supporting these charities as well as those that he is a trustee of. He is particularly pleased that his promise to set up the first Bipolar UK Support Group in Warrington has already been delivered.
A planning meeting took place in March and the first group meeting was held in May. Each subsequent meeting will take place on the first Tuesday of the month at The Gateway from 7pm.
Geoff added: “Both meetings went very well and I have signed up as a facilitator. For many of the members it was the first time that they have been able to discuss their illness with fellow sufferers and their carers. Simply talking about their experiences has made a huge difference.
“Bipolar is a severe, life-long mental illness characterised by significant mood swings from manic highs to severe depression. However, each person is unique and not one solution fits all.”
It can take up to 10 years before a person is diagnosed and then further time to find a suitable diagnosis, if at all. All sufferers experience highs and lows which Stephen Fry has graphically explained in his two TV documentaries. In extreme circumstances the lows can lead to tragic results but the manic phases can be equally destructive.
Geoff added: “I liken the imbalance to the one that I have with Asthma, Blood Pressure and Hayfever. I have to take medication, in the form of a pill on a regular basis, to relieve symptoms and mitigate an attack.
“I was diagnosed 20 years ago as being Bipolar and lithium in tablet form has enabled me to live a very good life with the support of my family and work colleagues, however this is not the case for many sufferers.”
The Mayor stands down from office on Monday, 23rd May and wishes everyone well. He and the Mayoress will miss the role a great deal especially the people of Warrington who they have met on their travels and shared time with.
Geoff will be heading out to the Isle of Man to volunteer for his eighth year as a TT marshal and a day or so working with the Manx Wildlife Trust.
On his return he will return to work in the local third sector primarily with the Warrington Visually Impaired People Warrington, Dial-a-Ride, Mersey Gateway Environmental Trust and Mersey Forest.
Deputy Mayor Faisal Rashid will become Warrington’s first Asian Mayor at the Mayor Making event on Monday.
TT marshals
1 Comment
Well Done Geoff! You were a good Mayor for Warrington.