Mayor is proud to serve his community and raise vital funds for hospice charity

According to Mayor of Gravesham Cllr Peter Scollard you simply can’t put a price on the services offered by ellenor.

He chose ellenor as one of his charities for his time in office after seeing how vital it is to patients, their families, and to the whole community. He and his partner Julie Easy, who is mayoress, are now busy organising one of their biggest fundraisers yet – a 1920s casino and music night in Gravesend in February.

Cllr Scollard became mayor in May 2022 and has taken his year-long commitment to serve the people of Gravesham very seriously indeed.

He said: “Gravesham includes some areas that are in the top 10 per cent of the indices of multiple deprivation and you simply can't put a price on having a local service like ellenor on your doorstep.

“The charity does great work, not just for the person reaching the end of life but for the whole family network around them. It has never been more important to remember those less fortunate, whether it be due to illness, financial hardship or loneliness.

“ellenor is definitely a charity the community identifies with – I saw this first hand at this year’s Twilight Walk, when so many people from Gravesham and the surrounding area turned up to take part.”

Through Cllr Scollard’s work for Gravesham Borough Council, as an elected councillor and now as mayor, he has heard many stories of the support offered by ellenor and how it has helped people through the most difficult of times.
He said: “Having ellenor here is vital for our community. Local charities can respond to the needs of a community. They work at the coalface and can offer tailored levels of support larger, national charities may not be able to offer.”

When charities like ellenor are reaching out more than ever for support from businesses and individuals, the friendship and affirmation of community leaders and figureheads is invaluable.

Having the mayor at hand to host and appear at events is particularly important for ellenor while work is carried out at its hospice site in Northfleet to create a state-of-the-art new wellbeing centre.

 Cllr Scollard said: “Wellbeing is such an important issue, especially after the pressures of Covid and now the cost-of-living crisis.”

The mayoress is keen to support Cllr Scollard in all his fundraising ventures. She has been a youth worker her whole career, working for a variety of charities, and now helps vulnerable young people. She also loves spending time with her own children and listening to live music – something she often incorporates in her fundraising ventures.

The mayoral couple are raising money for three charities during their year in office, ellenor, Homestart and Age UK North West Kent.

Cllr Scollard said: “Julie is used to raising funds and working in the community, so she runs the charity committee and leads on all the fundraising activities. We planned and ran four events in 2022 and are planning many more in 2023 to raise as much money as possible for our charities.”

The events range from wine tasting in Meopham to a Chinese night in Gravesend and the couple are also planning a curry and quiz night, a family day in Northfleet and a final event in April – watch this space!

Cllr Scollard said: “Our big bash is in February at Blake’s entertainment venue - Great Gatsby vs Peaky Blinders.”

The evening will feature gangsters and flappers, casino tables and live music. To find out more and to book tickets go to https://www.woodville.co.uk/events/great-gatsby-vs-peaky-blinders.

It will be an incredibly busy year for the couple, but they admit they really enjoy meeting people and the diverse community of Gravesham.

Cllr Scollard said: “I have met Olympian sportspeople, talented young people and fantastic local organisations that do good in their community. It makes me proud to live here.”

The Mayoress agreed: “Absolutely, me too, and I do also like organising the fundraising events, bringing people together and promoting local businesses and Gravesend in the process.”

The mayor added: “It is very humbling actually for both of us, especially when we go to an event and people are so pleased to see us and talk to us. We are trying to fit in as much as possible so we can support as many people, businesses, and community organisations as we can in our short time.”

Cllr Scollard has lived in Gravesham for 25 years, loves gardening, and works at a community interest company he founded. No Walls Garden CIC works with vulnerable adults on gardening and greening projects.

He became a councillor for Northfleet North Ward eight years ago after being a stay-at-home dad and noticing how “run down” the area was. After organising street parties and improving community relations, he became chairman of Northfleet Big Local, which aims to help people make their community a better place now and in the future.

After repeatedly asking the council for support to improve the area and lives of its residents, it was suggested he cut out the middleman and become a councillor himself so he could serve the community more directly.

He has certainly made the most of this opportunity since his election. His biggest hope now, especially in the uncertain times faced by so many, is that all the people he serves in Gravesham will “support and care for one another and the amazing community they live in”.