Service to town recognised at Whitnash mayor making

Outgoing Mayor Cllr Simon Button praised the dedication, service, and commitment of Bernard Kirton who recently stepped down as the county councillor for the town after 36 years and has served Whitnash at various levels of local government for more than 50 years.

Cllr Button said: “Bernard has been a very active councillor, who has been involved at every level. Over his long years of service, he has intervened in problems presented to him by hundreds of residents, always fighting for their rights. He has never been afraid to stand up and say what he believed in and what he thought was best for Whitnash. “Hence his nickname ‘The Whitnash Rottweiler’ Bernard is one of a kind and will not be easily replaced. His legacy will live on forever.”

At the event Cllr Button handed his mayorial chain over to Cllr Tony Heath for the coming 12 months saying it had been an privilege to represent the town in many ways.

He also presented cheques from his fundraising to representatives of his chosen charities, Rufus’ Friends Fund and the Encephalitis Society, totalling £14,000 which is a record for the town.

He also paid tribute to retiring Community Hall caretaker, Josie DiLuciano, who is stepping down after ten years.

Cllr Heath thanked Cllr Button for all his work over the last year, and said: “I will continue with the work carried out by Simon towards making Whitnash a better and safer place to live, and will push to make sure the Community Hub gets off the ground as soon as possible, to replace the existing Community Centre.”

Cllr Heath has chosen to raise funds for SW-Heart and the Whitnash Charitable Trust.