Verwood Town Council Mayor making 2011/2012
 

On Monday 16th May Councillor Mrs Toni Coombs was elected by her fellow councillors as the 21st Mayor of Verwood

Councillor Simon Gibson was proposed and seconded as Deputy Mayor.
 

The Mayor and Deputy Mayor

Cllr Mrs Toni Coombs represents Verwood Dewlands Ward. She has lived in Verwood since 1991; her children attended the local schools and the youngest is now serving in 14th Royal Signals  and has recently returned from Afghanistan.

Toni is also a councillor at East Dorset District Council (Vice Chair of Planning) and at Dorset County Council (Cabinet Member for Children & Young People). A governor at Emmanuel Middle School and chair of the Management Committee of Verwood Youth Centre.

She married Cllr Spencer Flower last year, he is leader of East Dorset District Council and Cabinet Member for Resources at Dorset County Council.

Toni has family roots in Dorset going back many generations in Shillingstone. However she was born in Christchurch, New Zealand as her parents were £10 poms, returning to the UK in 1966 following her father’s death.

Her two charities for the year are Help for Heroes (Verwoodians are currently serving our country and sadly not all of them have come home) and Verwood Pantomime Society (raising funds to renew their costume collection).
 

Cllr Simon Gibson moved to Verwood from Belfast in 1999 at the age of 10. He has attended local schools and works locally at Crane Valley Golf Club. He has been on Verwood Town Council for the past 4 years and recently he was elected to East Dorset District Council as a Councillor for Stephens Castle Ward.

He is really excited about becoming the Deputy Mayor of Verwood and is keen to provide Cllr Coombs with as much support and assistance as required to make sure that her year as Mayor is a total success.