Shropshire Star

New mayor Gwen prepares for busy tenure

Shrewsbury’s new mayor is looking forward to a packed 18 months after inheriting the gold chains last week.

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Mayor of Shrewsbury Gwen Burgess switches on the Christmas lights

Cafe owner and councillor Gwen Burgess has taken over from predecessor Phil Gillam, and her first engagement was switching on the town’s Christmas lights.

Now, having waited six months to begin her tenure after the disruptions of the coronavirus pandemic, she’s looking forward to promoting the town and raising money for chosen charity the Lingen Davies Cancer Appeal in Shrewsbury.

She said: “I am honoured and am going to do my utmost to honour the privilege of being the first citizen of Shrewsbury. I am looking forward to the next 18 months and will do everything I can to fly the flag for Shrewsbury.

Mayor of Shrewsbury Gwen Burgess

“It’s a local charity founded by a previous mayor. We want to do some interesting fundraising events so I’m looking forward to that.”

Councillor Burgess was born in London and is a mother of four.

She moved to the town in the mid 90s after getting divorced, and did a degree which ended up with her in a job helping married couples divide assets after splitting up.

Gwen Burgess at her cafe Darwin's Sandwich Evolution

“I did my degree here at Radbrook College in business and finance. I did that as a single mum. I had three children at the time. I was doing that and worked part time doing home care.

“Then I finished my degree and worked as an independent financial adviser. I did a lot of work with couples that were divorcing. It might have helped that I’d been there. My job was to save people a lot of hassle.”

She added: “I enjoyed it because you would be dealing with customers, but things changed and it became much more paperwork. So that’s why I have the cafe.”

Gwen Burgess with Frances O'Shea and Carl Jones promoting the Shrewsbury Cake Trail in 2016

Councillor Burgess runs Darwin’s Sandwich Evolution in Shoplatch. It was here that she got a taste for politics and campaigning. She has previously been involved in campaigning against Shropshire Council’s parking strategy and loading bay restriction changes as well as bus service cuts.

“It’s like the village pub,” she said. “People come in and say ‘have you heard what they’re doing with the bus station?’. All those things they come in and talk about. That’s why I started doing things about parking and buses.”

She has been a councillor since last year after winning a by-election for the Meole ward after the resignation of Nic Laurens.

Gwen Burgess protesting against parking increases in 2018 with fellow campaigners Mike Avery and Jeff Anderson.

“We need councillors to come from all different backgrounds,” she said. “It’s open to anybody.”

Away from the cafe and councillor work, Gwen enjoys a pub meal with her partner Mark, who she’s marrying next year at Shrewsbury Castle, providing Covid-19 rules allow it.

“We like to eat out. When we can we travel and find a pub that’s run by its owners and serves food in an evening. It has to be within 25 minutes of Shrewsbury and we’re not allowed to go back within three months.”

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