Cllr Alan Earwaker’s time as mayor of Farnham has come to an end and it was certainly a long period of time.

Alan was first elected as mayor in 2021 and was then asked to stay on for a second year. He was re-elected for a third time in 2023, becoming the first mayor in Farnham Town Council’s (FTC) history to do so.

Alan said: “The highlight was a sad occasion and a fantastic occasion. The death of the Queen and the coronation of a King in the same period of time is historical.

“The visit from the Duke of Edinburgh when he first became Duke and Farnham was his first engagement that was exciting.

“The fact that I was mayor for three years no one has ever done that. I suspect probably again in the future it will be very rare.”

Looking back on the mayor’s charities, Waverley Abbey Trust and Farnham ASSIST were Alan’s first ones. In his third term, Alan focused on supporting young people, such as Farnham Youth Choir.

He described the choir as an “outstanding charity” and praised the effort the members put in to go for world championships and other big events.

Prior to his term ending, Alan and the Council gave £90,000 to other youth charities and programs in the north, south and middle of town. A recent grant of £20,000 was put aside for school holiday activities.

Alan added: “We need to make sure young people get support during the holiday period.”

Alan remains on FTC as a councillor for the Farnham Castle ward, representing Farnham Residents Group and on Waverley Borough Council. He hopes to use his positions on the youth task group and Farnham’s Neighbourhood Plan to keep making positive change in the community.