Councillor Steve Bridger has been officially recognised as the new Mayor of Epsom and Ewell at the council's annual Mayor Making ceremony at the Town Hall on Tuesday 14 May.

The Mayor is the first citizen of the Borough of Epsom & Ewell and has several roles during their one-year term of office. These include representing the council and the local community at formal and ceremonial occasions, both within the borough and elsewhere, chairing full meetings of the council, and attending many community events throughout the year. During the mayoral year, the Mayor is politically neutral.

Steve has lived in the borough since 1961 and been the councillor for Stamford ward since 2015. He married his wife, Carol, in 1980 and they had two boys, Richard and Matthew. Steve started his working life in his family’s business as a wholesale fish merchant in Billingsgate Fish Market, and then moved to Tesco in 1987, where he worked for 27 years. When he retired in 2015, he helped Carol, who was Richard’s full-time carer from the age of three.

Richard was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a genetic condition that causes progressive muscle weakness, at the age of three. He became wheelchair-bound by the age of 11. Determined to live as normal a life as was possible, he attained good school results and a degree. Unfortunately, Richard’s condition shortened his lifespan and he sadly passed away in August 2018 at the age of 34.

Matthew is happily married with three children in Reading, and they all bring great enjoyment to Carol and Steve.

In his time as a councillor, Steve has sat on many committees and has chaired the Audit & Scrutiny committee for the past four years. Over his terms, he has contributed several Community Infrastructure Levy projects to better the local area and assisted the Epsom Common Association, where he has represented the council for nine years.

Steve has always taken environmental issues seriously, having had thermal solar water panels and 30 solar panels installed on his home over the past 22 years, which has massively reduced his carbon footprint. His hobbies include electronics, computer programming, gardening, DIY and repairing anything! He is a keen member of the Epsom Repair Café.

Steve is also a Freeman of the City of London and a liveryman in the Fan Makers Company.

The Mayor’s three charities for the coming year are:

• Epsom and Ewell Puffins Club

The Epsom and Ewell Puffins Club provides recreational and sports activities for adults with learning or physical disabilities including swimming, table tennis, bowls, Boccia, badminton and New Age Kurling. They also offer social activities and outings several times a year.

• Epsom & Ewell Phab

Epsom and Ewell Phab club provides inclusive activities for young disabled and non-disabled people. Activities include sports, arts, crafts, games, drama, dance and music.

• The Ruxley Foundation
  The Ruxley Foundation aims to improve the quality of life, social inclusion and social mobility of residents in Ruxley ward.

On becoming Mayor, Steve said, "It has been an honour to serve the community and the borough I love for many years now. I’ve lived here for over 60 years and becoming the Mayor is the highest accolade I could have hoped to achieve. 

“Carol and I thought long and hard about which charities to support during my mayoral year and, due to our personal circumstances, we decided to choose ones that focus on helping those with disabilities and less fortunate families within the Borough.”