Message From the Mayor
Published: 05 October 2026
𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗼𝗿 - 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗽.
September has been another incredibly busy month across Axminster, and it has been a real privilege as Mayor to continue meeting residents, community groups, voluntary organisations, and local representatives.
I have continued conversations around community priorities and youth provision, including meetings with Rev. Leisa Potter and Rev. Kay d'Albertanson and attending a local VCSE meeting. Supporting young people remains an important priority for me, and I’m pleased to see organisations across the town keen to work together.
One highlight of the month was the 𝗔𝘅𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹. It was an honour to help lead the carnival alongside Nick, the town crier, and his wife, Sandie. After uncertainty earlier in the year, seeing the town come together was fantastic and demonstrated the incredible community spirit we have in Axminster. Thank you to everyone who helped, took part, or came along.
I was also delighted to welcome members of the 𝗔𝘅𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, including visitors from France, to the Guildhall for a cream tea and to hear about their ongoing work strengthening our international friendships.
Another highlight was the re-opening of 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗩𝗶𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 with 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆. More than 800 people visited over the weekend, and it was fantastic for Axminster Town Council to play a small part in supporting such an important piece of our railway heritage.
I also attended the 𝗔𝘅𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 & 𝗟𝘆𝗺𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 open event and saw first-hand the valuable support available to residents and their families.
Alongside all of this, Axminster Town Council has been busy, including Full Council, Operations, and Strategy & Finance meetings. We are now beginning the process of setting next year’s budget and looking at how we continue delivering for Axminster. With 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 currently paused, there are certainly some challenges and uncertainty, but there is still plenty of work to keep us busy.
September has once again shown just how much is happening in our town. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who gives their time, energy, and commitment to making Axminster such a great community.
October is also shaping up to be an exciting month, as work on the extension of the path in 𝗝𝘂𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 is due to commence soon (weather permitting). This will make the amenity easier for more people to enjoy, whether walking, running, or cycling - particularly during the wetter months.
Please follow the Axminster Town Council Facebook and website news pages for the most up-to-date information about access restrictions to Jubilee Field during construction.