A TOWN’S new mayor is following the footsteps of her predecessor by pledging to raise cash to support forces families.

The new Mayor of Great Aycliffe Town Council is Councillor Mary Dalton who takes over the chains from Coun George Gray.

Coun Dalton has chosen to support the North East Army Benevolent Fund along with town organisations during her term of office.

The outgoing Mayor, Coun Gray said: "Over the last year Great Aycliffe Town Council and myself have been extremely busy.

"This has been an unprecedented year with many major projects being undertaken which were made available partly through external Local Improvement Programme funding (from the former Sedgefield Borough Council), match funding from the Town Council and Councillors’ Neighbourhood Enhancement Programme fund.

"We have refurbished a number of play areas, an old building at Moore Lane to provide an environment centre for the whole community to use and given our pre-school at St Oswald’s a whole new lease of life."

His nominated charities were BLESMA (British Limbless Ex-Service Men’s Association) and the British Heart Foundation which equally shared the £8,000 he raised.