Sven Hocking becomes Salisbury Mayor
He succeeds Atiqul Hoque in the role
Salisbury's new Mayor has told Greatest Hits Radio it's a 'tremendous honour' to take over the role.
Sven Hocking, who is Councillor for the Harnham East ward, takes over the role from Atiqul Hoque.
Mayor Hocking told GHR that he wants to engage with the people of Salisbury, saying his door is 'always open' and when he's holding 'Meet the Mayor' events, encouraging people to speak to him and share their stories, good and bad.
The Mayor Making ceremony takes place today with a procession from Salisbury Guildhall to St Thomas' Church where Cllr Hocking will be instated as the new Mayor.
The parade will then return to the Guildhall.
The new Mayor said it hadn't yet sunk in that he is taking the role.
"It still hasn't really sunk in yet, but it is a tremendous honour from someone who's been to school here, worked here, lived here, had businesses here raise their children here. It is an enormous honour and a privilege to be the mayor of the city that I'm proud to call. home."
Supporting a charity with personal connections
The Mayor revealed to us that his chosen charity to support during his year as Mayor is the Wiltshire Air Ambulance.
He said he has personal connections to the charity.
My father had a heart attack in the village store in White Parish, a few years ago.
"The air ambulance was on route and a halfway through they discovered that the Hampshire Air ambulance aircraft was actually closer so they diverted Hampshire to my dad and went to help someone else."
Mayor Hocking added that his children's friends, who ride BMX's and skateboards, had been assisted by the air ambulance, as well as some of his own motorcycling friends.
"My wife works at up at the hospital as well, her office is right next door to the helipad, so she sees them coming and going all the time. S
"It's something that we feel that, you know it it's worth supporting. We know how much it costs to keep a helicopter afloat and how much the kit they use actually costs."