Council and democracy

Meet Croydon's new Mayor

The council will invite Councillor Driver to "allow his name to be submitted to the annual meeting of the council, on May 19, for election to the office of Mayor for the council year 2008-2009."

Councillor Driver was first elected to the council in 2006, representing his home area of Waddon, where he has lived for the past seven years.

At 40 he will be one of Croydon's youngest Mayors, but this accolade in not a first for Councillor Driver who became Mayor of next-door Lambeth a decade ago, aged just 30.

As he prepares to wear the chain of office in Croydon for the first time, he has been busy planning ahead for his year as the borough's first citizen.

As well as representing the borough at hundreds of civic, ceremonial and social occasions, he intends to promote Croydon as London's third city.

Councillor Driver said: "Croydon is a fantastic borough and has plenty to celebrate. I intend to use my year in office to make sure it gets the credit it deserves and avoids unwarranted criticism, and to campaign for city status."

And almost two decades of classroom experience as a teacher at Emanuel College in Wandsworth, has left him in no doubt of the importance of engaging the youth of the borough.

Councillor Driver said; "By listening to and working closely with young people's organisations I hope to reduce their scepticism about politics and encourage more young people to become involved in community activity."

One such organisation, the Waddon-based Croydon unit of the national Sea Cadets Corps, is one of the two charities he has chosen to raise money for through his term of office as Mayor. Croydon Sea Cadets aims to motivate young people through water and land-based activities to instil essential life skills.

His other charity is The Cause 2000, which works to ensure the wellbeing of elders in the large Caribbean population in and around Croydon.

The Mayoress for the year will be Councillor Driver's long-standing friend and former colleague, Mrs Virginia Griffiths, who was Mayoress for Lambeth in 1996-97 and in 1997-98.

Supporting him as Deputy Mayor will be Councillor Robert Askey, who was elected to the council two years ago as ward member for Upper Norwood.

Councillor Askey has lived in the borough all his life, attending local schools before training to be a primary school teacher at Roehampton University.

He now works as a supply teacher and is also a governor at Downsview Primary School.