Shrewsbury Town Council is proud to announce that the former Mayor of Shrewsbury, Councillor Alex Wagner, raised an impressive £3,872 during his mayoral year, with the funds being shared between his chosen charities, West Mercia Search & Rescue and Shrewsbury Street Pastors.
Councillor Wagner's mayoral year concluded on 11 May 2026, following a busy and memorable twelve months representing the town at civic, charitable and community events across Shrewsbury.
Among the highlights of the year was attending the visit of HRH The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, to the Field Studies Council at Preston Montford in July, where local schoolchildren and volunteers were recognised for their contributions to environmental education. He also supported Independent Business Day on Wyle Cop, attended the grand reopening of the refurbished Quarry Gates, enjoyed a special charity performance of Alice in Wonderland by Shropshire Youth Theatre, and joined traders, businesses and visitors in celebrating the 60th anniversary of Shrewsbury Market Hall.
The mayoral fundraising programme concluded with a successful charity curry night at The Masala, near St Julian's Friars in May, bringing together residents, councillors, local businesses and supporters to celebrate the end of the mayoral year and raise additional funds for the Mayor's charities.
Reflecting on his year in office, Councillor Wagner said:
It has been a tremendous honour to serve as Mayor of Shrewsbury. Throughout the year I have met so many dedicated volunteers, community groups and local organisations whose work makes our town such a wonderful place. I would like to thank everyone who supported my mayoral charities and helped make the year so memorable."
Mark Eccleston, Search Lead for West Mercia Search & Rescue, said:
On behalf of everyone at West Mercia Search & Rescue, I would like to thank Councillor Wagner for his fantastic support throughout his mayoral year. As a volunteer-led charity, donations such as this are vital in helping us maintain our specialist equipment, training and operational capability. The generosity shown by the people of Shrewsbury will make a real difference to the work we do across the region."
Paul Bell, Chief Executive Officer of Shrewsbury Street Pastors, added:
We are extremely grateful to Councillor Wagner for choosing Shrewsbury Street Pastors as one of his mayoral charities. These funds will help us continue supporting vulnerable people in the town centre and providing a reassuring presence during evenings and weekends. Alex has been a wonderful advocate for our work and we thank everyone who contributed to this remarkable fundraising total."
The tradition of the Mayor of Shrewsbury supporting local charitable causes continues with the current Mayor, Councillor Bernie Bentick, who is raising funds throughout his mayoral year for Little Stars, Shrewsbury Town FC Foundation, Lingen Davies Cancer Support and Shropshire Mental Health Support.
Shrewsbury Town Council would like to thank all residents, businesses, community groups and volunteers who supported Councillor Wagner's fundraising activities throughout the year and helped raise this outstanding amount for two deserving local charities.