WHAT does the Lord Mayor ever do for York?

Well, quite a lot, as it happens.

In addition to representing the city in an ambassadorial role, and attending civic and ceremonial functions, York's first citizen also traditionally raises funds for local charities.

This year's Lord Mayor of York, Sonja Crisp, is supporting Dementia Friends, Older Citizens' Advocacy York (OCAY) and the York Stained Glass Centre.

Her predecessor Ian Gillies, meanwhile, chose York Against Cancer and the York Teaching Hospital Charity as his two official charities of the year.

His fundraising went so well that not only was he able to buy a minibus for York Against Cancer and a self-dialysis machine for renal patients at York Hospital outright - he had money left over to help other local charities too.

The chair of Cllr Gillies' fundraising committee Kirsten Ovenden, who also just happens to be his daughter, organised everything from a Valentine Ball featuring pig racing with battery-powered pigs to a civic gala concert and corporate go-karting and golf days.

The result was a total of £70,000 raised - one of the highest by any York Lord Mayor ever.

The thousands of pounds left after helping his two main charities went to several other local organisations, including York Normandy Veterans Association (to help fund their next trip overseas), St Leonard's Hospice, York Hospital Radio, The Lord Mayors' Own Scout Group, SASH (Safe And Sound Homes), the York Civic Trust (to fund an annual award in the Lord Mayor's name), York Archaeological Trust, the York Carers Centre, the York Civic Youth Choir (a new choir set up during Cllr Gillies' year as Lord Mayor to showcase the talent of young people in York) and the National Trust.

"As an added extra, Dad and I arranged to take a coach full of the city's young carers (all younger than 18) to the Jinnah restaurant on the A64 for a curry night," Mrs Ovenden said. "It was a fabulous evening!"

Last week, representatives of many of those charities got the chance to meet Cllr Gillies and members of the civic party and fundraising team from his year in office at Middlethorpe Hall.

"During my year of office, I saw what a fabulous job charitable organisations do," Cllr Gillies said. "It was great to meet up with them, and have the chance to thank them for what they do."