Maidenhead & Windsor

For the first time the Royal Windsor and Maidenhead Borough looks set to have an all-woman combination as Mayor and Deputy.

Maidenhead's Cllr Dorothy Kemp has been nominated as Mayor-elect for 2008/2009, following her successful year as Deputy, while it is expected that Cllr Catherine Bursnall, of Windsor, will be chosen as the new Deputy Mayor.

The election ceremony will take place at the council's annual meeting in the Town Hall on Tuesday May 20.

Cllr Kemp was first elected to represent the Oldfield ward in May 1998 and over the past 10 years has served on a large number of council committees, boards and panels. She has a particular interest in issues affecting children and young people and has represented the council on a range of outside bodies and organisations looking after the interests of youth in the community. These include membership of Castle Hill Youth and Community Centre management committee and the borough's Early Years Partnership. She is also a school governor at both Cox Green School and Woodlands Park Primary School. Cllr Kemp served on Berkshire County Council from 1981 to 1989.

As Deputy Mayor Cllr Kemp has had a busy schedule of engagements for the past year, which she described as 'excellent training' for when she becomes the borough's first citizen.

She said: "The past year has given me tremendous opportunities to meet the people and organisations who contribute so much to the daily life of our borough. I have been impressed by the sheer volume of volunteer hours given by dedicated residents to charities and community groups and by the unflagging enthusiasm shown by those who have embraced so many worthy causes.

"I am very much looking forward to my year as Mayor, when I will have even more opportunities to see at first hand the amazing wealth of voluntary work in our community and get to know the people at its heart."

Cllr Kemp is widowed and has three grown-up children. Her son Duncan be her official Escort at a number of functions during her Mayoral year.

Cllr Catherine Bursnall, a ward councillor for Castle Without in Windsor, was first elected to the council last May. She is married to Cllr Tom Bursnall, a ward councillor for Clewer East. She currently serves on the Windsor development control panel and on the young people's consultative forum.

Cllr Bursnall said: "I am absolutely thrilled at the prospect of being Deputy Mayor. Never for a moment did I dream that, just a year after being elected, I would be given the opportunity to represent the Royal Borough in this very important way. I will be working closely with Cllr Kemp and will do my utmost to support her in the year ahead."

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead