Mayor's Civic Service launches 'Building a Better Future for our Young People' Theme and Announces Nominated Charities Youth Talk and Herts Young Homeless

The Mayor of Harpenden, Cllr Kirsti Wenn, welcomed a number of civic guests, including Annie Brewster JP DL for the Hertfordshire Lieutenancy, the Mayor and Mayoress of St Albans, The Chairman of Hertfordshire County Council, Victoria Collins MP and Mayors of neighbouring areas, as well as members of the Harpenden community to her Civic Service on Sunday 7 June at St Nicholas Church.  Luckily, the afternoon’s fine weather held, and attendees enjoyed beautiful performances from St Nicholas’ Church Choirs and a moving Address by the Revd. Mark Hammond from High Street Methodist Church.

The Civic Service is an annual service of thanksgiving which celebrates the new Mayor taking office and introduces their Mayoral theme for the year. This year, Cllr Wenn has chosen a theme of ‘Building a Better Future for our Young People’, a cause close to her heart, and this is reflected in her choice of nominated charities: Youth Talk and Herts Young Homeless. Both of these charities do vital work in the Harpenden community to support young people’s mental health and prevent youth homelessness.  The Mayor will be holding a series of events, starting with the annual Mayor’s Charity Quiz in early September, to raise funds for them.

Cllr Wenn said ‘My Civic Service was a very enjoyable and moving occasion and I was honoured that so many civic guests and members of the local community joined me to celebrate the start of my Mayoral year. Helping young people to build a better, more hopeful and confident future for themselves is very important to me.  So many young people today are struggling with unprecedented challenges around social media, making friends, school life and education, and jobs and careers. I am just hopeful I can play my part in raising as much as I can to support two incredibly worthwhile charities who do so much to help young people navigate their way through life’s worries and difficulties.’