New Mayor of Epsom & Ewell is Councillor George Crawford QPM 

Councillor George Crawford QPM, who has served his local community for more than thirteen years, has been elected as the new Mayor of Epsom & Ewell for 2016-17. 

George was first elected to the Borough Council in 1999. He took a break from the Council for four years to care for his late wife and was re-elected in May 2011 for Cuddington ward. During his time as a Borough Councillor he served as Chairman on the Crime and Disorder Committee and also served on the Scrutiny Committee, Standards Committee and Social Commission. Prior to being elected as Mayor he was also an active member of the Human Resources Panel, the Audit, Crime & Disorder and Scrutiny Committee and Social Committee. 

He was proposed by Councillor Clive Smitheram and seconded by Councillor David Reeve. 

Speaking at the Annual Council meeting on Tuesday 17 May, George said: Thirteen years ago I was elected as Councillor, quickly realising that it was merely an extension of the help and advice I had already offered over my many years of public service. 

“As I become Mayor of this friendly, caring Borough, I wish to enhance the wellbeing of the people of Epsom & Ewell who for 45 years have made me so welcome.” 

George was born and raised in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. He joined the Metropolitan Police in 1962, eventually becoming a Chief Superintendent, before retiring in 1992 to work for 10 years as Head of Security for both Wimbledon and Crystal Palace Football Clubs at Selhurst Park Stadium. He was awarded the Queen's Police Medal (QPM) for distinguished service at the end of his police career. 

His hobby has always been Rugby Union and he played for both London Irish and the Metropolitan Police before retiring to take up refereeing. He worked his way up to the English and Irish panel of referees, refereeing junior internationals and the final of the Middlesex Sevens at Twickenham. It was whilst refereeing at Twickenham that he made the now famous tackle on a streaker. 

For his Mayoral year, George has decided to raise funds for local Macmillan Cancer Support. He has always been interested in palliative care as his late wife suffered from multiple sclerosis for many years and he also wanted to highlight work done by Nancy and the late Roy Richmond MBE who worked tirelessly to raise funds for the Macmillan Butterfly Centre in Epsom Hospital. George wishes to raise as much money as he can for the betterment of the lives of those who suffer from cancer in Epsom & Ewell. For more information on the Mayor's Charity Fund, forthcoming events and booking details please visit www.mayorscharitiesepsom.org.uk 

Councillor Liz Frost was elected as the Deputy Mayor. 

The Mayor is the first citizen of the Borough of Epsom & Ewell and has several specific roles during their one-year term of office. These include representing the Council and the local community at formal and ceremonial occasions, both within the Borough and elsewhere, and chairing full meetings of the Council.  

The Council also established a Community and Wellbeing Committee which replaces the Leisure Committee and Social Committee and appointed the following Chairmen to its committees:

•           Councillor Eber Kington was elected Chairman of the Strategy & Resources Committee.

•           Councillor John Beckett was elected Chairman of the Environment Committee.

•           Councillor Barry Nash was elected Chairman of the Community and Wellbeing Committee.

•           Councillor Graham Dudley was elected Chairman of the Planning and Licensing Policy Committee.

•           Councillor Humphrey Reynolds was elected Chairman of the Planning Committee.

•           Councillor David Reeve was elected Chairman of the Audit, Crime & Disorder and Scrutiny Committee.

Picture attached with kind permission of Mike Sampson.

Information from Epsom & Ewell Borough Council