TOWN councillors in Wellington are being asked to set up a ‘Mayor’s Fund’ to raise money for charity each year.

The idea comes from new Wellington Mayor Cllr Marcus Barr, who has set himself a personal target of raising £10,000 during his 12-month term of office.

Cllr Barr is pitching the proposal to the council’s monthly meeting on Monday evening (June 5) in the United Reformed Church Hall, in Fore Street.

He said it would enable each mayor of the town if they wanted to do so, to raise funds during their term in office to be distributed to their selected community groups or charities at the end of each municipal year.

Cllr Barr said any fund-raising events requiring town council resources, staff, or budget, would be subject to approval by the full council through its town centre committee.

He said he planned to raise as much as he could this year and would start off his fund with £1,000 largely made up by the allowances he received as councillor and mayor.

At the end of the year he intended to ask residents for suggestions as to who should receive donations from the fund.

He planned to run a stall at Wellington Street Fair on Saturday (June 3) selling donated CDs, DVDs, books, and records, and to hire the council’s Pop-Up Shop next January to sell items such as unwanted Christmas presents.