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Councillor Dave Bolwell was elected Mayor of Bridport, in May 2023, for the Mayoral Year – 2023-2024.

Dave was born and raised in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire and lived there most of his life, apart from a short interlude in the early 90s when he emigrated to Canada. He and his wife Bridget were married in Canada having met a couple of years previously in England, after which Bridget joined Dave in a new start in Toronto. Ironically, they had both attended Fitzmaurice Grammar School in Bradford-on-Avon but their paths rarely crossed during those years. Throughout their years together (they celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary in 2023!), they frequently came to Bridport at weekends and for holidays.  When Dave’s retirement beckoned they decided their next move would be to live near to the sea, it was a simple choice –                                                                                          it had to be Bridport.

Dave had been involved in local politics before coming to Bridport.  He was a town councillor for Bradford-on-Avon and a West Wiltshire district councillor, and following his move to Bridport he was elected to both the Town Council and Dorset Council in 2019.

Dave says of his role, and his recent election as Mayor “I have really enjoyed my time as a councillor and it has been a joy to become part of the community in such a vibrant and diverse town and an honour to be chosen as Mayor of Bridport.  To follow Cllr Ian Bark will not be easy; he has started many initiatives in Bridport and I aim to help and progress them where possible in my term as Mayor. I am particularly struck by the difficulties our young people have in obtaining further education and their limited options for permanent employment in and around Bridport.  The lack of public transport and training centres, and the cost of housing locally are obstacles to local employment. Bridport Town Council is working on initiatives to help address these problems, and part of my role as Mayor will be to help bring them together. Young people are our future!”

Dave has chosen Bridport Youth & Community Centre and Bridport Community Kitchen as recipients of Mayoral fundraising in the year 2023-24.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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