New District Council chairman brings 50 years of local knowledge to the hot seat

THE NEW Sevenoaks District Council Chairman brings five decades of community involvement into the role along with her lifelong partner for backup.

Larry Abraham hands over the District Council chain of office to new chairman Pat Bosley

Cllr Pat Bosley, who represents Fawkham and West Kingsdown, takes the chains over from Cllr Larry Abraham in the same year she celebrates 50 years of marriage to fellow District Councillor, Ian Bosley after being elected at the Annual Council meeting on 15 May.

Cllr John Edwards-Winser was also elected to the post of Vice Chairman at the same meeting.

After conquering the big smoke of London with a secretarial career from Victoria to Fleet Street, Pat settled in West Kingsdown in 1968 where she got married and raised their two children, before throwing herself into her community work, helping out at the local play group, running pop-in cafes… and that’s just the start!

Pat, who has been a district councillor since 2006, said: “I’m very much involved with the community, so much that popping into the shop for some milk could take an hour – it’s like running a local surgery!

“But I love to help people and if I take something on, I take it on 100%, so that has seen me explore many ventures such as being a school governor for 38 years, becoming secretary at the Village Hall, fundraising for St Edmunds church, to other things such as cooking the community a full English breakfast on the first Saturday of the month.”

With the aim of raising the awareness of physical and mental wellbeing across the District, Pat has already planted her stake firmly in the ground, being part of the team to get the Every Step Counts wellbeing walking groups off the mark as well as using her passion of singing to raise money for mental health projects with the Big Community Sing at the Stag Theatre on 21 June.

Her time in the Chairman chains will also help support her chosen charity, the Silas Pullen Fund, who raise money on behalf of the Brain Tumour Charity.

“Silas sadly passed away in 2013, and I recently met his mother who spoke about how she wouldn’t want any other parent to stand in front of a surgeon and hear there is nothing that can be done and most people don’t know that brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of young people so I’m determined to do all I can to change that.”

So, how does she feel about the upcoming year? “I had such an exciting year as Vice-Chairman which has prepared me well for making the step up to Chairman, its shown me how many incredible people there are that do not get much recognition but is people like this that make our District what it is.

“People ask me where I get my energy from, and I’ll be putting that energy into my year as Chairman – so we’re in for an exciting year!”

Pat welcomes invitations to attend community events. To invite her, visit www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/chairman, e-mail chairman@sevenoaks.gov.uk or call 01732 227247.