Stockton-on-Tees has a new Mayor...

He was officially installed at the Council's Annual General Meeting today (Wednesday 24 June), replacing Councillor Lynn Hall at the end of her mayoral year.

Councillor Javed represents the Parkfield and Oxbridge ward and was the first Asian councillor to be elected in the Borough's history in May 2007.

He currently serves on four committees - the Adult Social Care and Health Select Committee, People Select Committee, Place Select Committee and the Appeals and Complaints Committee.

Born in the Kashmiri village of Sandar, Councillor Javed moved to Stockton-on-Tees in 1983 and now has two sons and two daughters with his wife Shabana.

He worked for the NHS for 13 years supporting people with learning disabilities and also ran his own business.

Councillor Javed said: "I am very proud to become the first Asian Mayor and to represent all the people of Stockton-on-Tees.

"The Borough has many multicultural communities and I'm looking forward to working with them to ensure everyone has equal opportunity to improve their lives.

"I already do a lot of charity work and I'll be carrying this on throughout my mayoral year.

"I know this is a difficult time for our residents due to the many challenges posed by the coronavirus but I can assure people I will be working hard to help our communities."

During this year, the Mayoress will be his wife, Shabana Javed.

This year's Deputy Mayor is Councillor Kevin Faulks who represents the Ingleby Barwick West ward.

The new Mayor has selected a number of charities to benefit from his fundraising activities this year:

• Great North Air Ambulance Service - bringing pioneering pre-hospital care to people in urgent need
• The Halo Project - supports victims of honour-based violence, forced marriages and female genital mutilation (FGM)
• Macmillan Cancer Support - providing specialist health care, information and financial support to people affected by cancer

The retiring Mayor, Councillor Lynn Hall, raised £20,048.78 for the Great North Air Ambulance Service and NeoAngels with the money split evenly between the charities.

Councillor Hall also made a donation of £2,000 to Butterwick Hospice Care, raised £1,000 for the Mayor's Benevolent Fund which supports local organisations and groups, as well as raising £1,987.80 for the Borough's three Armed Forces Freedom Regiments.