The Success of Past Mayors
Councillor Chrissie Hitchcock, Mayoral year 2010-2011
Councillor Chrissie Hitchcock and her Mayoral Team & Charity Committee raised over £25,000 during her 12 months in office. The Account is still being finalised but a presentation to the Kaleidscope Project and the Fircroft Trust representatives should take place during September (final details to following shortly).
Councillor Ian McDonald, Mayoral year 2009-2010
Councillor Ian McDonald decided to set up The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames' Charitable Trust (to help the Homeless) during his term as Mayor. At the end of his year in office the Trust changed its name to The Kingston upon Thames Charitable Trust so it could continue on in existance but be run independently by its Trustees (seperate from the Mayor's Office and the Mayor's Charity). Over the Mayor's term in office approximately £25,000 was allocated out in various grants to SPEAR for its Rent Deposit Scheme, Kingston United Reform Church for its installation of showers, Kingston Churches Action on Homelessness for its Winter Night Shelter and Streetpastors for training.
Councillor David Berry, Mayoral year 2008 - 2009
Charities Chosen
(Representatives from the Forces Children's Trust and Combat Stress at the cheque presentation being made by Former Mayor, Cllr David Berry)
Founder and Chairman, Denny Wise, from the Forces Children's Trust said "The money will help us with numerous projects we have planned including a seminar in Central London for families who have lost a loved one. It will also enable us to continue with some of our more established forms of support to these families including holidays to Portugal, theatre and educational trips and equipment for children with special educational needs."
Jo Grace from Combat Stress said "This donation will help us continue offering vital treatment and support to a particularly needful but ofter overlooked group of ex-Service men and women as they rebuld their lives. In the last four years we have seen a 66% increase in referrals seeking our help and we are currently caring for 4,000 veterans, 52 of whom are resident in the local area. As demand for our services grows financial support such as this is absolutely essential to mainting the services we offer."
Councillor Berry and his Mayoral Team/Charity Committee raised just over £22,000 which was split equally between his two chosen charities
Councillor Shiraz Mirza, Mayoral year 2007 - 2008
Charities Chosen
(Representatives from Momentum, Royal Kingston Rehab Centre and Parkinson's Disease Society at the cheque presentation being made by Former Mayor, Cllr Shiraz Mirza)
Momentum is planning to spend the money it receives on the provision of a holiday home (the charity's major project), painting murals and the installation of air conditioning in the paediatric wards at Kingston Hospital.
Royal Kingston Rehab Centre (Lahore) is planning to spend £11,000 finishing off the construction work on the centre in Lahore. Plans to visit the centre in October 08 will allow decisions to be taken on how the remaining money will be spent. Several ideas being discussed at present are: to create a covered waiting area for patients or create a clean water system for patients or buy equipment to allow staff to take free blood tests and fund hepatitis treatment.
Parkinson's Disease Society (Sutton, Kingston & Epsom Branch) is planning to use its donation to contribute towards the set up and promotion of respite facilities for Parkinson Carers and to set up a further fitness class to benefit those sufferers living in Kingston.
Councillor Mirza and his Mayoral Team/Charity Committee raised just under £38,000 which was split between his three chosen charities - 45% each to Momentum/Royal Kingston Rehab Centre and 10% to Parkinson's Disease Society.
Councillor Mary Reid, Mayoral year 2006 - 2007
(Representatives from Young Kingston and Thames Community Foundation at the cheque presentation being made by Former Mayor, Cllr Reid)
Young Kingston is planning to support projects to improve the quality of life in the Royal Borough, develop young peoples skills and talents so it benefits the community. Young Kingston aims to empower young people by helping them turn their ideas into reality.
Councillor Reid and her Mayoral Team/Charity Committee raised just over £22,000 for Young Kingston
Councillor Yogan Yoganathan, Mayoral year 2005 - 2006
Charities Chosen:
(Representatives of the three charities receiving their cheques from Former Mayor, Cllr Yoganathan)
Magic Roundabout is planning to use its donation for relocation costs, sound proofing consultation rooms and general fit-out ofoffices, develop a new website and internet forum and employ one part time outreach worker.
Milaap Centre is planning to use its donation to cover the cost of funding for volunteers/staff support on social outings to places of interest, a new heating system in their mini-bus, arts and craft projects and therapeutic sessions for members.
Save the World Club is planning to use its donation to cover the cost of extensive building work to premises in Elm Road, Kingston (including new toilets, kitchen and roof repairs) plus a community mosaic in Tolworth Underpass.
Councillor Yoganathan and his Mayoral Team/Charity Committee raised just over £35,000 which was split between his three chosen charities
Councillor Ed Naylor, Mayoral year 2004 - 2005
Charities Chosen:
Kingston Bereavement Service provides support and counselling to anyone who lives, works or studies in Kingston suffering as a result of a bereavement.
Kingston Domestic Violence Outreach Service Hestia Housing & Support works to assist vunerable people. The organisation manages 3 refuges and a Domestic Violence Outreach Service in the London Borough of Kingston.
Home-Start Kingston we recruit and train volunteers, usually parents themselves, to go into the family home and offer emotional and practical support to any family that needs it (only requirement is that they must have a child, or children, under five years of age).
Samaratians - Kingston Branch our vision is for a society in which: fewer people die by suicide, people are able to explore their feelings and people are able to acknowledge and respect the feelings of others.
Victim Support Kingston hundreds of local people turn each year to us for help in overcoming both the practical and emotional problems they face in having been a victim of a crime. We also manage the Magistrates' Court Witness Support Service.
Councillor Naylor and his Mayoral Team/Charity Committee raised just over £27,000 which was split between his five chosen charities.
Councillor Dennis Doe, Mayoral year 2003 - 2004
Charity Chosen:
Tummy-Cam - Councillor Doe raised over £53,000 to buy 'Tummy Cam' equipment for Kingston Hospital. The more technical term for the equipment is wireless capsule endoscopy. Current methods of examining our digestive system involve a Consultant examining our inside, using a camera attached to a probe. However, this is only useful for a short distance and misses out 20 plus feet of our insides that cannot be reached. The tummy cam enables the patient to swallow a mini-camera, the size of a larger cod liver oil capsule. On the way through it takes 50,000 pictures which are captured on a special video system worn on a belt by the patient, not dissimilar in size to a "bum-bag". The consultant can then examine the 'tape', using a special monitor.
Said Cllr. Doe "I had aimed to raise £38,000 during the year, because we thought that was sufficient to buy this state-of-the-art equipment. But, thanks to the purchasing power of Kingston Hospital, we have been able to buy the equipment for less money than expected. AND, thanks to the generosity of the people of Kingston and beyond, we look like finishing up with at least £50,000. So we shall be able to buy further Tummy-Cam equipment for the hospital. Even this year the technology has improved and we have been able to purchase add-ons which didn't exist when I started the project".
Councillor Doe and his Mayoral Team/Charity Committee raised just over £53,000 for Tummy-Cam
Councillor Don Jordan, Mayoral year 2002 - 2003
Charity chosen:
Kingston Can, is the Kingston Hospital Cancer Unit Appeal. The Appeal was set up in May 2001and has so far raised £1.3 million of the £3.5 million needed to set up the new unit. The Hospital currently treats over 1,500 cancers and has among the best survival rates in the country for the three most common forms. Although these figures are well and good, more needs to be done to improve the patient environment. The new cancer unit will deliver a caring, sympathetic and confidential environment where patients will receive specialist cancer care and treatment under one roof.
Councillor Jordan and his Mayoral Team/Charity Committee raised just over £40,000 for Kingston Can.
Councillor Jeremy Thorn, Mayoral year 2001 - 2002
Charity chosen:
Archway Trust provides subsidised counselling, hypnotherapy and befriending support to young people, adults and family groups
Barnfield Riding for the Disabled Trust seeks to ensure that any rider with a physical disability or learning difficulty has the opportunity to ride regardless of age, gender, nationality, ability, disability or financial circumstance
The Shooting Star Trust Children's Hospice Appeal aims to build, equip and run a hospice to serve terminally ill children in West London and North Surrey, including Kingston
Councillor Thorn and his Mayoral team raised approximately £25,000 throughout his Mayoral year. The total was split evenly between the charities.
Councillor Shiraz Mirza, Mayoral year 2000 - 2001
Charities chosen:
Kingston Hospital Born Too Soon
was set up in 1985 by parents and medical staff at Kingston Hospital to offer information and support to parents whose baby was being cared for on the Neonatal Unit at the Hospital.
Kingston Refugee Action
supports asylum seekers and refugees entering and living in the Royal Borough.
Councillor Mirza and his Mayoral team raised approximately £31,000. The total was split evenly between the charities.