The Seaford community gathered to conclude the Town Council’s 25th anniversary year with a tribute which included past Mayors and the new Seaford Town Flag, and celebrate the recipients of the Mayor’s Awards and prestigious Don Mabey Award.

Seaford Town Council hosted another well-attended Town Forum on Thursday 1st May at Cross Way Church.

The Town Council is legally required to host an annual town meeting (Town Forum), with the purpose of enabling residents to ask questions of its local council. However, the Town Council embraces the opportunity to also share information about what it has been doing – its achievements in the year and its future plans – to aid with openness, accountability and increased public awareness of the Town Council’s activities and aims.

Members of the public attending the Town Forum as Cross Ways Church in Seaford.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before the meeting, attendees enjoyed refreshments and networking. Recipients of the Town Council’s Large Grants in 2024 – 2025 hosted stalls which presented to the community how grant funds had been spent. Stalls were hosted by Bishopstone United Charities; Cuckmere Valley Canoe Club; Culture Connect Project CIC; Family Support Work (FSW); GIA (Gardening in Action) CIC; Newhaven & Seaford Sea Cadet Corps; Seaford Bonfire Society; Seaford Community Events Committee; Seaford District Guides; Seaford Dramatic Society (Seaford Little Theatre); SEDS Connective; St James's Trust (Seaford); St Wilfrid's Hospice (Eastbourne); and Teddy Treats Children’s Charity.

Opening the meeting, the Mayor reflected on the 2024–2025 year and discussed future projects in the town, including: Lewes District Council’s Local Plan; the 80th year celebration of VE Day; South Hill Barn development; and a review of the Town Council’s 2023 – 2027 Strategic Plan. The Mayor paid tribute to the Town Council’s 25th anniversary, which included wearing the Mayor’s Community Coat adorned with over 90 patches created by the community about what Seaford represents for them.

Past Mayors Laurie Holland (1999-2000 and Freeman of the Town), Rosemary Collict (2006-2007), Cllr Linda Wallraven (2011-2012, 2012-2013, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019), Mark Brown (2014-2015), Dave Argent (2015-2016), Nazish Adil (2019-2020) and Cllr Olivia Honeyman (2022-2023 and 2023-2024) were invited to share memories of their time as Mayor of Seaford. The past mayors offered their thanks to everyone in the community for their co-operation with the Town Council and efforts and care in the town.

Seaford Town Council Mayors holding up the Seaford Town Flag in from of them.

 

 

 

 

Past Mayors of Seaford – Back row, left to right, Dave Argent, Laurie Holland, Cllr Sally Markwell, Cllr Olivia Honeyman, Nazish Adil. Front row, left to right, Rosemary Collict, Cllr Linda Wallraven & Mark Brown.

 

The town was then presented with a new Seaford Town Flag – a gift to the town marking the Town Council’s 25th anniversary. The flag’s unique design uses the symbols, colours and town motto from the Seaford Coat of Arms:

• The Lymphad or ship is similar to the one on Seaford’s original corporation seal, a reminder of the town’s former status as a port.
• The half-lion/half-ship symbol appears on the badges of many Cinque Ports member towns, and serves as a reminder that Seaford for some hundreds of years was associated with the group as a “limb” of Hastings.
• The eagle, also represented on the old town seal, comes from the arms of the de Aquila family who owned land hereabouts in medieval times.
• The Latin motto “E Ventis Vires” translates as “From the wind – strength”.

The Mayor and others standing with the flag in front of them.

 

 

 

 

Seaford Town Flag – left to right, Cllr Sally Markwell, first Mayor of Seaford and Freeman of the Town, Laurie Holland & Flag Custodian, Dave Argent.

 

The Mayor proceeded to introduce her chosen charity for her year in office, SeaFriends. Mary Lumley of SeaFriends provided an overview of the incredible work of SeaFriends with tackling loneliness before the Mayor presented the charity with £800 from the Mayor’s recent ‘incognito’ fundraising event.

The Mayor presenting Mary Lumley with a certificate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SeaFriends £800 donation – The Mayor of Seaford 2024-2025, Cllr Sally Markwell & Mary Lumley of SeaFriends.

 

The Mayor then took the opportunity to celebrate those in the community providing exceptional support and services to people in and around Seaford. Awards were presented as follows:
Highly Commended Certificates:
To: Miranda Bearns-Lowles, Carol Trimbee and Vicki Skippings for commitment and collaboration to ensure the success of Christmas Magic 2024.
To: Duncan Kerr and Gavin Lisle of Wave Leisure for hosting of voluntary groups.
To: Zoe Jones of Seaford Library (to be presented onsite at the library) for her involvement in the Seaford Community, through hosting of community displays and local groups.
Mayor’s Awards:
Mayor’s Award for Innovation – Chris Goode, Seahaven Poets
Mayor’s Award for Creativity – Dawn Monk and Terri Simmons
Mayor’s Award for Entertainment – Anne Vickers, Strum 4 Fun
Mayor’s Award for Community Support – Len Fisher and Tom Bonner, Seahaven FM

The Mayor presenting Len Fisher with an award.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mayor’s Award – Len Fisher & The Mayor of Seaford 2024-2025, Cllr Sally Markwell.

 

 

Don Mabey Award:
To: Mary Lumley for her hard work and commitment with SeaFriends and Cycling Without Age.
The Mayor of Seaford also presented the retired Don Mabey shield to the Town Crier, Peter White, to take custodianship of, as a previous recipient of the Don Mabey Award and to recognise his continued work in and around the town.

The Mayor presenting Mary Lumley with the Don Mabey award.

The Mayor of Seaford standing with the Town Crier, Peter White.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don Mabey Award – Mary Lumley of SeaFriends & The Mayor of Seaford 2024-2025, Cllr Sally Markwell.
Don Mabey Award Custodianship – Town Crier, Peter White & The Mayor of Seaford 2024-2025, Cllr Sally Markwell.

The Mayor of Seaford (2024-2025), Councillor Sally Markwell has said: “What a wonderful evening of celebration, nostalgia, and honour! I was so pleased to meet all our grant awardees and hear of their successful projects during this past year. I also felt very privileged to meet so many of our former Mayors, hearing their reflections of their role demonstrated their pride and commitment in their service to Seaford. We were also able to recognise with gratitude the special contributions made by a number of organisations and individuals that have supported me during my Mayoral year. Thank you all for being so prepared to support our civic responsibilities. I hope everyone enjoyed the evening as much as me!”

All presentations, the draft minutes and photographs from the evening can be found on the Annual Town Meeting page of the Town Council’s website, here - https://www.seafordtowncouncil.gov.uk/the-town/annual-town-meeting/  

The video of the Town Forum will be available shortly on the Town Council’s You-Tube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgtznqupgyI