Did you know that our Club has, over the years, had six members serve as Lord Mayor of Canterbury? The latest is Councillor Keji Moses, a current Club member. We warmly welcome her and the new Lady Mayoress, Carol Reed, to their roles and look forward to hosting them at our events over the coming year.
Canterbury first had a Mayor, John Lynde, in 1448, when it was granted a City charter. However, it wasn’t until 1988, following the 12th Lambeth Conference of the Anglican Church, that Canterbury had its first Lord Mayor – Thomas Steele. Of the 68 districts with city status in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, only 28, including Canterbury, have the right to appoint a Lord Mayor. This is the highest civic honour the city council can confer.
Since 1988, the following members of our Club have served as Lord Mayor of Canterbury: William (Bill) Hornsby (1994); Peter Wales (1998); Lewis Norris (2005); Harry Cragg (2009); and Rosemary Doyle (2017).
The role of Lord Mayor is a ceremonial and civic position, representing the city at official events, promoting community initiatives, and supporting local charities. It often involves chairing council meetings and acting as a key ambassador for the city of Canterbury.
Outgoing Lord Mayor, Councillor Jean Butcher, and Lady Mayoress, Di Baldock, have generously supported many of our Club’s events, including our Annual Duck Race. In April, they also helped unveil The Point – our environmental gift to the city to mark our Centenary. Keji, then serving as Sheriff of Canterbury, was also present at the event.
Keji, who was inducted into our Club in 2022, is the founder and CEO of Mayah’s Legacy, a charity dedicated to raising awareness about the mental health impacts and lasting effects of pregnancy loss. In addition to being a Rotarian she is a Justice of the Peace, a Soroptimist, a member of Ethnic Minorities in Canterbury (EMIC) CIO, an author, podcaster, and public speaker as well as wife and mother – she also pursues many other interests in her “spare” time!
At the recent council meeting in Canterbury’s Guildhall, where she was formally elected as Lord Mayor, Keji reaffirmed her commitment to mental health advocacy, especially for women. Her chosen charity for the year is East Kent Mind, which supports those experiencing mental health challenges or assisting others who are. Carol Reed, succeeding Di Baldock, will serve alongside her as Lady Mayoress.
We offer our warmest congratulations to Keji and Carol and look forward to their continued engagement with the community.
The Lord Mayor is supporting the East Kent Mind Wellbeing Ambassador Initiative. To find out more, or donate, please check here.
Picture: Rotarian Julie Reza, Lord Mayor and Rotarian Councillor Keji Moses, and our Past President Martin Ward, who also serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees for Canterbury Food Bank, pictured at the election on Thursday at Canterbury’s Guildhall. (Also present but not pictured was former Lord Mayor and Past President, Rosemary Doyle.) Picture credit: Lady Mayoress Carol Reed.
