Members of Dawlish & District u3a were very pleased to welcome the Mayor of Dawlish, Alison Foden, to their monthly meeting in January.

Alison is a well-known figure in the Dawlish community, and even more so at present as she is continuing in her term of office for a second year.

Ms Foden spoke about how she became involved in the life of this community soon after she moved to the town. The destruction of the railway line caused by the disastrous storm in February 2014 was a key moment in raising her awareness of local issues.

She began to serve as a town councillor in 2015, and also represents Kenn Valley on Teignbridge District Council. She is active in other local organisations, including the town's Twinning and Fairtrade Associations. Her active life in community organisations is combined with her 'day job' as a clinical trials administrator at the RD&E Hospital.

After a period as deputy mayor, Alison was a natural choice to be asked to serve as Mayor in May 2019. She anticipated a busy period representing the town and council at a wide range of social events, encouraging community life, charity fund raising and much else, all in addition to her demanding schedule of work as a town and district councillor. There is always a very full diary, and she looked forward to the opportunity to extend her wardrobe while supporting dress shops and other businesses in Dawlish!

Alison clearly enjoys this side of the role, and a particular highlight was participating in events with the town's twin town Carhaix-Plouger in Brittany. It may seem a long time ago now, but just a year ago, news coverage was dominated by the frightening images of bush fires devastating large areas of Australia, killing wildlife and destroying habitat on an unimaginable scale. In an act of solidarity, the Mayor sent a message to the Governor of New South Wales as Dawlish's much-loved resident the black swan, originates in that part of the world.

As we all know, life does not always work out as planned. Lockdown since March 2020 means that much of our community and social life has ground to a halt. This meant that the role of Mayor has been transformed. Council activity swiftly moved to being conducted remotely, and the rich array of social and community events has been put on hold. In order to ensure some degree of continuity, Alison agreed to extend her period in office for a further year. Who knows whether there will be any return to 'business as usual' before her second term concludes in May?

Graham Carey, the Chair of Dawlish & District u3a, has been much encouraged by the steadily growing attendance at the monthly meetings held on Zoom. Graham said: "Zoom offers all members and the wider community opportunities to connect and enjoy each other's company – and also to have fun seeing the surprise attendance on screen of our friends' cats!"

The group is planning an Open Day, possibly in June, to publicise what the u3a offers, and more information on this will be available as plans are made.

Dawlish & District u3a has over 100 members who meet monthly to listen to speakers on a diverse range of subjects, and to enjoy each other's company. In addition, about 20 interest groups meet throughout the month to pursue subjects as varied as Great Lives, History, French Conversation, Wine Appreciation, Scrabble, Rumikub, and Gardens & Gateaux. To find out more, visit u3a Dawlish