Neath Port Talbot Council has a new Mayor after Councillor Scott Jones was elected to the post at the Council’s Annual Meeting held at the Orangery in Port Talbot’s Margam Country Park on Friday, May 17.

Councillor Jones, who lives in and represents the Cymmer ward in the Upper Afan Valley, became a County Councillor in 2008. His wife Jemma will be the Mayoress of Neath Port Talbot for the 2019/20 Mayoral year of office.

In 2004, Councillor Jones was appointed Secretary of Croeserw Workingmen’s Club where he held employment until 2015. When appointed, he became the youngest secretary of a Workingmen’s Club in the UK.

A member of Croeserw Bowls Club (and currently club President), he is Chairman of Croeserw AFC while also being President of Croeserw and Cymmer Age Concern and a member of Cymmer PACT. Cllr Jones is also connected to a number of other local community organisations including being Chairman of Afan Valley Swimming Pool and Cymmer Afan Community Library and acting as a Governor of the Federation of Schools of the Upper Afan Valley.

Taking over from outgoing Mayor Councillor Dennis Keogh, Councillor Jones has chosen to support two charities in his civic year, one of them being the Multiple Sclerosis Society which provides invaluable support to people with the condition.

The other will take the form of a fund which will be set up to help third sector community organisations. They will be able to apply to the fund for help with their community projects.

The newly installed Mayor’s theme for his time in office will be “community”.

He said: “My aim will be to champion the outstanding work done on a daily basis by the Neath Port Talbot Council for Voluntary Service (NPTCVS) and all the excellent volunteer work carried out throughout the County Borough.

“I also wish to widen appreciation of the tremendous work done by volunteers and community organisations within the third sector across Neath Port Talbot.”

Councillor Jones also wants to promote the importance of children’s rights by supporting the development of a ”Youth Mayor”.

He explained at the Annual Meeting: “I’ll be supporting the development of a Youth Mayor to ensure the role of Mayor is relevant to the needs of today’s children and young people, building on the excellent work done by the Neath Port Talbot Youth Council.”

The new Deputy Mayor of Neath Port Talbot is Cimla Councillor John Warman, one of the longest serving councillors in Wales. Cllr Warman was Mayor of the old Neath Borough Council back in 1988-89 and was also Mayor of Neath Town Council in 2016-17.

He has served on a number of public bodies, being a former member of the Press Council and a past member of OFWAT and he was the organiser of the campaign to abolish the Severn Bridge Tolls (CAST).

He is currently a member of the Mid and West Wales Fire Authority and a director and Vice Chairman of the Board of the Association of Port Health Authorities for the UK. His wife Lesley will be Deputy Mayoress.

He said: “I’m looking forward in my year as Deputy Mayor along with my wife Lesley to doing everything possible to support the new Mayor Councillor Scott Jones and the Mayoress. We wish them both a happy and successful year.”