Horwich Advertiser Issue 635

Page 4 May 2026 AD SALES 01204 478812 THE MAYOR’S DIARY As he gets ready to take on the role of Horwich’s first citizen, meet the town’s new mayor Kevin McKeon 10 11 Monday Tuesday The Mayor’s Diary TAKING ON THE CHAINS OF OFFICE ON May 7 I will have had the honour of being installed as the newmayor of Horwich. I am an adopted ‘Hor- wicher’, having lived here since 1980. I was born and brought up in Rochdale. After spending 10 years in the priesthood, I was a sec- ondary school teacher for 30 years. I’m still involved in edu- cation, being the chair of the Local Governing Committees of both Chorley New Road Pri- mary Academy and Rivington and Blackrod High School. My wife, Irene, was born and bred in Horwich and we brought up our three sons here. I have come to love Hor- wich, its community, history and traditions and am sin- cerely grateful to my fellow Horwich Town Councillors who have shown faith in me by electing me to take on the role of town mayor. I served on Bolton Council from 2010 to 2023 and have served on Horwich Town Council for various terms, first being elected in 1987. Over that time, I have known many mayors, all of whom have said how much they have enjoyed the role of first citizen. They’ve told me of the joy they’ve experienced in getting to know the many individuals and groups that make Horwich such a diverse and vibrant town. I am look- ing forward to sharing simi- lar experiences. It is the custom for a mayor to nominate charities for which during the mayoral year he or she will fundraise. I and my wife have chosen to support two. The first, Bolton Hospice, is well known. The care it provides for patients, includ- ing patients from Horwich is outstanding. We have all known family, friends or neighbours who have had to cope with severe diagnoses of cancer or end of life care. The hospice provides that care and I knowHorwich people are keen to support its work. The second charity we wish to support is a relatively new one. Its name is Echo and Wave. It has been created by a young lady called Samantha Mulheran Gamble who was sadly affected by baby loss. She felt there was little support for families suffering from such tragedies from the NHS or charities. Samantha found her sup- port from women who had undergone similar experi- ences. She has been inspired to establish a charity that can provide the support she looked for in her time of need. Echo andWave offers acces- sible and compassionate peer support and looks to create a community where families feel understood and held. Irene and I hope that this very val- uable work will become bet- ter known during the year to come. THE Horwich Day of Dance saw Morris Men and Women take to the town’s streets to perform once again. The event has long been led by the Horwich Prize Medal Morris Men. But after their retirement last year the Riv- ington Morris group took over organ- ising the spectacle of traditional dance and music. The day saw four guest teams based in the North West joining them: Sad- dleworth Morris Men, Saddleworth Women’s Morris &Clog, The Rumworth Morris and Wrigley Head. A spokesperson for the group said: “Wow! What a splendid day out. The weather gods were kind, the dancers were amazing, the pubs, cafes and shops were welcoming and nourishing and the folk of Horwich were hugely supportive and generous. “A very big thank you to so many peo- ple who helped out before and on the day.” As well as attracting crowds of spec- tators the day’s entertainment also raised money for Bolton Hospice and other charities. (Photo credit: RivingtonMorris/MillyMoran- Hetherington/ DerekMeller) Dancing in the street