BRENTWOOD Council has elected Councillor Mark Reed as the Mayor of Brentwood for 2015/16 to take over the role of ambassador and first citizen of the borough for the coming year.

Councillor Reed replaces Councillor Vicky Davies who held the role last year.

His appointment was made at Annual Council on Wednesday night. where members of the Council were joined in the Council Chamber by residents, family members and friends to witness the traditional Mayoral ceremony.

Councillor Reed, who is Brentwood's 24th Mayor, was born and brought up in Romford. He was educated at St Edward's C of E School before working for The Queen's Bankers, Coutts & Co and later other private banks including Hill Samuel and Allied Trust Bank for 14 years.

After leaving his job in the City he started working for Brentwood Theatre, and moved to Hutton, where he has remained to this day.

He was elected to Brentwood Borough Council to represent Hutton South in 2008.

During his time as a Councillor Mark has been involved in many local community projects in Brentwood. He is a supporter of Brentwood Skatepark Association and helped to raise funds for their rebuild. He is a trustee of Brentwood Leisure Trust, who helped him to become fitter, something he says he hopes to repeat in his Mayoral year. He was privileged to have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of overseeing the Olympic Torch Relay in 2012 as it came through Brentwood.

Away from the Council, performance, theatre and the arts are dear to his heart and he has fundraised for Brentwood Theatre by completing the Southend 10k and by having his head shaved.

On his appointment, Mayor of Brentwood, Councillor Reed said: "Brentwood is my community, it's where I have lived for many years and I owe a lot to this borough, so it's an honour and a great privilege to become the 24th Mayor of Brentwood. I am very much looking forward to serving the borough in my new role.

I am particularly keen to start raising money for my chosen charities and supporting causes that are close to my heart, namely SNAP, Special Needs and Parents, because I have grown to know so much of the good work that the charity does in Brentwood. They have supported children of friends of mine and they are much-respected throughout the borough.

My second Mayoral charity this year will be the Brentwood Philharmonic Orchestra. I will also be supporting local scout groups and the Brentwood Skatepark Association. In Brentwood we have some of the best community groups and community-minded people that you might ever want to meet, so I will be pleased to support them all.

And lastly, I will be an ambassador for the Brentwood Leisure Trust and will be supporting their work."

Leader of the Council, Councillor Louise McKinlay, said: "I would like to welcome Councillor Mark Reed in his new role. He is one of the most sincere and genuine people you could know and has built up a good reputation in his ward. I know he will do a fantastic job and be an excellent ambassador for our borough."

The outgoing Mayor, Councillor Vicky Davies, has raised more than £11,500 for her borough-based mayoral charities Brentwood Community Print, St Francis Hospice and Brentwood Talking Newspaper and she made a donation to the Visually Impaired Group Brentwood.

Councillor Noelle Hones, ward member for Ingatestone, Fryerning and Mountnessing, was appointed as Deputy Mayor for 2015/16. Her husband Councillor Jon Cloke will be her consort.