New Civic Mayor pledges focus on Mental Health and local communities

The newly appointed Civic Mayor of Tameside, Councillor Helen Bowden, has spoken to the Tameside Reporter of her pride in taking on the role and her commitment to supporting mental health and local organisations across the borough.

Councillor Bowden described her appointment as “a privilege and an honour,” admitting the moment still feels surreal after years of aspiration. “It’s something that I’ve been dreaming of for a long time,” she said. “Now it’s here, it’s like pinch me.”

Having served as Deputy Mayor over the past year, she acknowledged how quickly time passes in the role and is now looking ahead to a busy 12 months representing Tameside.

A key focus of her mayoral year will be championing local charities, with Councillor Bowden choosing to support Hyde Festival Theatre, People First Tameside and Wooden Canal Boat Society. Her decision reflects a strong commitment to grassroots initiatives, particularly those addressing mental health.

“I could have quite easily gone for bigger charities,” she explained, “but I wanted to keep it local and help local people.” She also hopes to visit schools to speak to young people about mental health and share her own journey, encouraging them to pursue their ambitions regardless of academic background.

Mental health advocacy is deeply personal for the Mayor, who previously worked as a support worker for 17 years. “It didn’t feel like going to work,” she said. “You were helping people achieve their goals in life and that really meant something.”

Her passion for mental health is rooted in her own experiences growing up, having been a young carer for family members. She believes support systems have improved significantly since then and is determined to continue raising awareness.

Looking ahead, Councillor Bowden is optimistic about the year to come and keen to highlight the positive work happening across Tameside.

“There is a lot of good stuff going on,” she said. “We care about where we live, and we want the best for Tameside.”