New Mayor and Deputy Mayor elected for the High Peak

High Peak has a new first citizen following the election of a new Mayor for the Borough.

At its Annual Council Meeting in Buxton on 7th May, councillors elected fellow councillor, Councillor Barbara Hastings-Asatourian. She had been the Deputy Mayor for the past 12 months. 

Councillor Hastings-Asatourian represents Whitfield Ward near Glossop. Her consort will be her husband, Khachik. She has chosen as her charities, for the year ahead, Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre which provide seaside trips to children growing up in poverty or difficult circumstances, Zink in Buxton which runs a foodbank, supports neuro divergent people, deals with substance misuse and helps people into work; and a drug recovery centre the councillor is hoping to establish in Whitfield. 

The new Mayor enjoyed a long career in nursing before her retirement which involved teaching public health to nurses at Salford University and later specialising in sexual health. She set up and became director of the CIC Contraception Education with the university, a role which resulted in international work and several awards including British Female Inventor Finalist in 2002 and 2004, Exceptional Exporter Award from UK Trade and Investment in 2006 and a Gold Award in Research and Development in Education from EU Women Inventors 2017. 

Unlike the past Mayor, Councillor Dom Starkey, she said she would not be jumping out of planes or running marathons during her year ahead. 

The Deputy Mayor will be Councillor Payge Hacking who represents Buxton Central Ward. Her consort will be her partner and fellow councillor, Councillor Matt Taylor who represents Stone Bench Ward. Councillor Hacking spoke of challenges she has dealt with in her life including being diagnosed deaf aged five. 

She felt politics hadn’t nothing to offer her growing up but now aims to use her role to show others that their stories shouldn’t be invisible, either. 

Councillors thanked the outgoing Mayor, Councillor Starkey, and presented him with a commemorative badge, and thanked his Consort, County Councillor Jean Wharmby. 

Councillor Starkey said he was delighted to raise over £8,500 for his charities during his year. He was at the meeting using crutches having suffered a stress fracture after running the recent Manchester Marathon for his own charities.