Helping hand: Islington mayor cllr Gary Heather in the stock room at the Sue Ryder charity shop in Essex Road

• AT the end of my term as the Mayor of Islington I would like to say how thoroughly I have enjoyed the year.

It has been a privilege and a great honour to serve the good people of our brilliant borough.

In my acceptance speech last year I said I wanted to be a mayor for all the people of Islington and a representative of the people.

The feedback I have received indicates I have achieved those aims. And that has included having fun, dancing and singing, along the way.

I would like to say how deeply I have cherished the opportunity to connect with the diverse array of people and organisations that make up Islington.

Each engagement, and the encounters with the people at them, has been a source of inspiration, and I feel privileged to have learnt so much from the stories and experiences shared.

As someone with a deep interest in history, delving into Islington’s local heritage with organisations like the Peel Institute and the Islington Local History Centre has been a particularly enriching experience.

Discovering more about Islington’s past has deepened my appreciation for this remarkable borough and strengthened my resolve to preserve and celebrate our collective history in the future.

In this regard I would like to place on record my particular thanks to the St Luke’s Community History Group and the council’s heritage service for the work they do to record and preserve the history of the people of Islington – and the former borough of Finsbury – in all its diversity.

And a very big thank-you to everyone who has supported and collaborated with me throughout my mayoral journey.

Special thanks to Voluntary Action Islington, my chosen charity, who I took a great delight in working closely with this year.

The charity fosters connections in the community by providing a service matching volunteers with organisations in need of a helping hand.

Our goal was to put a spotlight on the value of volunteering by encouraging more people to step forward and lend a helping hand in serving the people of Islington during a cost of living crisis.

We jointly hosted two fairs to enable and enhance volunteering in the borough. I volunteered myself at the Sue Ryder charity shop on Essex Road, where I worked in the stock room, folding, hanging, pricing, and organising clothes for display.

It was brilliant to work with the volunteers and help out. I also visited The Garden Classroom’s hut and their volunteers doing wonderful community gardening at Newington Green.

I am proud to have served as mayor during 2023-24, with VAI as my charity. Their commitment to expanding and supporting volunteering across Islington has made a tangible difference, especially during these challenging times, in the aftermath of a pandemic and during a cost-of-living crisis.

VAI and volunteers continue to work tirelessly to bridge the inequality divide in our borough and to ensure that everyone has access to the support they need.

CLLR GARY HEATHER