Councillor Steve Melia (Great Barr with Yew Tree ward) is the new Mayor of Sandwell following a ceremony in the Council Chamber at Sandwell Council House
His Mayoress is his sister, Valerie Thacker, who last year also acted as his Deputy Mayoress.
The Deputy Mayor was named as Councillor Elaine Giles (Newton Ward) and her Deputy Mayoress will be her granddaughter, Grace Giles.
At the ceremony, votes of thanks were passed to the outgoing Mayor Councillor Syeda Khatun MBE.
Councillor Melia, who has been a councillor for 30 years, having represented both Great Barr with Yew Tree and Wednesbury South Wards, confirmed that the charities he will be raising money for are The British Polio Fellowship and Acorns Children’s Hospice.
The British Polio Fellowship (BPF) which is a national charity dedicated to improving the lives of those living with the effects of Polio and of Post Polio Syndrome and until recent years the most dreaded diseases in the modern world.
They help by offering varying services to sufferers with such as a free-phone helpline service, literature both for people affected by the late effects of polio/PPS and the professionals they consult, advice, guidance and support with completion of Personal Independent Plan forms and other types of grant application forms, help with heating bills and many other services.
Councillor Melia has been a member of the BPF for many years as he contracted Infantile Paralysis as it was then known as a baby aged about one year old and has lived with the effects of Polio ever since.
Acorns Children’s Hospice offers a network of palliative care and support to life-limited and life-threatened children and their families, and they are there wherever and whenever they are needed, in the hospice, community and at home.
On becoming Mayor of Sandwell, Councillor Melia said:
“I hereby promise to fulfil my role as Mayor of Sandwell to the best of my ability, that is, to support all sections of the community in any way that I can, to promote Sandwell Council and Borough to the wider field and, if and when asked, to assist in the day to day activities of all councillors, hopefully always with a smile.”
He also added, on a more personal note, that:
“Remembrance Road, Friar Park where I was born and which was built towards the end of the inter-World War period is, I believe, worthy of some sort of record for so many Civic Heads of one sort or another coming from one so small a place.
“We had councillors including Geoff Lewis, Bill Archer, John Edwards, Bill Melia, Albert Handley, Roy Handley, Dennis Booton and now me, all becoming the Mayor of Sandwell.
“We also had Council Leaders of both Wednesbury and West Bromwich Councils and councillors before the inception of Sandwell Council. Worthy of note I believe.”
Councillor Melia went on to thank residents, fellow councillors, family, friends and the wider community for the support he has been given over many years.
The Mayor is the first citizen of Sandwell. While the role is non-political, the Mayor presides over meetings of the council. The Mayor attends events across Sandwell and also represents the borough at functions outside Sandwell involving local residents and organisations.