Over the next few months, we’ll be introducing you to our Parish Councillors. The aim is to put faces to names, provide some background on the reasons people join the council (maybe giving others in the community ‘food for thought’!) and prove that councillors are human too!
This month, we would like to introduce…
Sarah Hawes
Chair
Sarah joined the Council in October 2020. She originally intended on becoming a ‘vaccine volunteer’, having been furloughed from work and feeling that she ought to give something back. At the time, council meetings were held virtually, making it a tricky time to get to grips with the workings of the council, never mind get to know the other councillors. Fast forward 5 years, and it is her team of fellow councillors that keep her tied to the council. They are such a supportive group, and there’s a real sense of camaraderie, despite the serious business the council has to debate.
It was thanks to retired Chair Simon Plater’s encouragement (read persuasion!) that Sarah became Tollesbury Parish Council’s first female Vice-chair. Further history was recently made when Sarah was voted in as the new Chair, upon Simon’s departure.
Sarah is also Chair of the Woodup Pool Committee, a group she was keen to sit on, having been brought up in Maldon and spent her summers learning to swim in the Prom Lake. It is an asset that we are so fortunate to have; we must do all we can to preserve it.
In her ‘spare time’, Sarah works full-time as an education adviser for one of the London boroughs. Having worked in education throughout her career, she’s keen to do what she can to support the next generation within the village. If she has a moment to spare, you’ll probably find her in her garden with her husband and one of her collection of rescue cats.
