A FORMER mayor of Ross-on-Wye has reflected on his year in office which occurred during the covid pandemic.

Cllr Daniel Lister said that when he was appointed to the role in May 2020 all of his mayoral ideas and community plans had to be put to one side while we navigated one of the most difficult times the UK has faced.

Cllr Lister said: “In a bid not to give up, I took on many voluntary roles where I met some incredible people, all on their own volunteering journeys throughout covid.

“I was immensely proud of this town and how we all came together to support and look out for one another.”

Cllr Lister said that due to the ongoing restrictions he was unable to roll out many of his community plans and added: “But what I do remember most is how proud I was to become mayor and serve, even if it was in a very different way to what I had imagined.”

“I remember thinking to myself, this will never happen again being mayor, so I must document this time and send a picture to my mum.”

“And thanks to Caz Holbrook Photography, that happened. I’ve never shown these photos before or looked at them myself for years.”

During his year in office Cllr Lister learnt some sign language so he could say happy Christmas and joined tick tock on social media to try spread some joy by sending video messages to community groups.

“We must remember that being kind costs nothing. Looking out for others costs nothing,” continued Cllr Lister.

“Being supportive costs nothing. Saying hello and smiling costs nothing, but all of these things enrich us and can make such a difference to someone’s day.

“We live in an amazing town with an amazing community. As we continue to grow, let’s hold on to that spirit and continue sharing it throughout our community.”