THE NEW Mayor’s first fund-raising event is to take place this month on midsummer’s day.

Councillor Atiqul Hoque was sworn in as the new Mayor on Saturday, May 13 and became the 762nd Mayor.

He has chosen the theme of 'bringing the community together' and will hold his first event at The White Hart Hotel.

There will be a welcome reception at 6.30 pm and dinner will take place at 7.15 pm. A talk by Simon Banton on the Astronomy of Stonehenge will follow and then, a raffle and an auction to ignite the Mayor’s Appeal.

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The chosen charities to benefit from Mayor's fund-raising activities include Salisbury and Wilton Rotary Club which supports the community each year, Salisbury Hospice Charity which provides end-of-life care to residents, and Wilton Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) which enables disabled people to experience and enjoy riding.

Incoming President of Wilton Rotary Club, Andy Rhind-Tutt, said: “We are indebted to Mayor Atiqul for choosing both Salisbury and Wilton Rotary Club's Charities to benefit along with Salisbury Hospice and Wilton RDA.

"In Rotary, we are all volunteers and every pound we raise goes entirely to good causes. With this extra support, we will ensure local needs benefit from this extra boost and look forward to helping where we can in what looks to be an amazing year bringing the community together for the benefit of everyone.”

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Salisbury Hospice spokesperson Alex Brown said: "Salisbury Hospice Charity is delighted to be one of the charities chosen by the 762nd Mayor of Salisbury, The Worshipful Mayor Atiqul Hoque, for his tenure during 2023-2024.

"Salisbury Hospice cares for up to 1000 people every year, through our inpatient unit, Hospice at Home, community nurses, family and bereavement support and a wide variety of specialist clinicians. It costs £2.9 million per year to run the Hospice, and the Charity aims to raise £1.5 million of this."

A spokesperson from Wilton Riding for the Disabled Association said: “Wilton RDA provides equine therapy to people of all ages in the Salisbury area with physical and learning, disabilities, autism and dementia. 

"We wish to sincerely thank the Mayor of Salisbury for choosing us as one of the beneficiaries of the Mayoral Appeal 2023 and wish to thank in advance all those who donate during the year. To be able to enrich the lives of disabled children and adults through our specialist horse riding activities is so rewarding for everyone involved.

The event will take place at the White Hart Hotel on Wednesday, June 21.