The Mayor
The Mayor of Thetford for 2024/25 is Councillor Chris Harvey.
The Mayor of Thetford wears a chain of office when carrying out official engagements. The chain is also worn on ceremonial occasions as part of the official dress.
The Mayor’s Chaplain is Tim Lovejoy.
The Deputy Mayor for 2024/25 is Councillor Carla Barreto.
Councillor Chris Harvey has strong links to the town, having grown up in Kilverstone and moving into Thetford itself in the 1960’s where he attended Thetford Secondary Modern.
His family have been part of the community for generations, with his uncle running a local scrapyard and his father being a standard bearer for the Thetford branch of the Royal British Legion. Along with his wife Linda, they raised their children in the area and Linda set up her own hairdressing business in the town, which she ran for 32 years.
Chris became a councillor in 2015 as he wanted to put something back into the town. “After seeing all of the changes and challenges in the area across the years, I wanted to work with residents and become part of the process to make sure that all residents felt welcome in the town.”
“Thetford has a varied community, made up of groups from many diverse backgrounds. I believe ensuring equality in the town is crucial and want to make sure that everybody has the opportunity to have their voices heard and be treated fairly.”
Chris was Deputy Mayor during the past year and he really enjoyed taking part in some school visits supporting the work being done by the Town Council’s Heritage Team. “These trips have been part of the Town Council’s Heritage project, educating the local schools about the Mayoral role and history in the town. It was great to hear the views of the younger generation and see what they thought was important to have in the town. Thetford has such a rich civic history, and it is vital that people are educated on the past mayoral roles as well as the current one so that generations to come understand the importance of that history.”
“I am most looking forward to helping local people, I want to meet people and learn their stories, it’s people that make a town and shape the community.”
“In my Mayoral year, I want to make sure I prioritise visiting schools and local businesses as well visiting community groups and clubs. Thetford has so much to offer with people who work so hard in the community, and I want to highlight some of the wonderful things the town has to offer. As a councillor I pride myself on supporting the community, and I want to be able to continue with that. It is important to make sure the Mayor is a positive figure in the town. I believe in ensuring the mayor has a community focus and want to focus on helping to relight community spirit in the town.”
“I want to work towards making sure the Mayoral role is not seen as out-dated. The Mayor must embrace the modern era, and the challenges that we face in the town every day. As Mayor, I will be using the support of the team around me in the Council to address issues that are affecting residents in Thetford and to highlight all the positive things about Thetford. It is important to highlight all the great community groups and projects in the town and make sure their successes are celebrated. I want to build a
focus on caring for each other, checking in on your neighbours and making sure everyone feels part of the community. Nobody should feel isolated, and I will be working with groups to make sure there are welcoming spaces, and that people are aware of outreach groups they can access in the town.”
“I am immensely proud of the town and what it has to offer and looking forward to representing Thetford as Mayor of Thetford. I am disappointed that my parents are no longer with me to see me become mayor but know that they would have been there to provide encouragement and advice if they could. I could not do any of it without the support of my wife Linda and my family and I am grateful for her taking on the Mayoress role alongside me”.
The Mayor’s Charities are Thetford and District Dementia Support Group, Fulmerston Family and community Project and The Benjamin Foundation Meet Up Café.
The Mayor is keen to support all manner of local organisations and events. If you would like to invite the Mayor to an event or function, please contact our Civic Officer via email at: [email protected]