Buckingham Advertiser article

My article in this week's Advertiser:

One of my first jobs back in the 80’s was to put together a planning register (or database) of all the people with learning disabilities in Berkshire. My boss and I made sure that our register (unlike others at the time) focused on what the people were (and would one day be) able to do rather than what they could not do. In other words we deliberately emphasised ability and ambition.

I have concluded that ambition has been at the heart of most things that I have done: professionally, politically and personally. I have always looked for every opportunity to support people (family, friends, organisations and the wider community) in shaping their dreams and ambitions. And I have tried, where I can, to help them gather together the wherewithal to make these ambitions a reality. I get a real buzz when I see people making positive things happen for themselves, for their families, for their businesses and the community at large.

And so I am honoured, delighted and not a little bit daunted to have been elected as Buckingham Town Mayor by my fellow town councillors. My ambition is to serve the people of Buckingham and the Town Council to the very best of my abilities.

Ambition will be a key theme of my year as your Mayor. Over the coming months, I will be looking for every chance to support, recognise and rejoice in the ambitions of the many people I will be meeting. I am looking forward to learning about all the ways in which people are making their own futures happen (rather than having them being made for them by someone else).

I am also starting the “Buckingham Ambition Project” which will have the aim of getting more people involved in boosting ambition in our great town Buckingham. Please let me know how you would like to be involved! (jonsharvey@ymail.com)

Meanwhile if you want to follow the progress of my Mayoral adventure, please browse and subscribe to my blog: themayorofbuckingham.blogspot.co.uk And of course if you would like me to come along to any event or meeting you are organising, please contact the Town Council offices. I intend to be very busy over the next twelve months!