TWO York charities have been given a boost after being selected for support from the city’s new Lord Mayor.

Councillor John Galvin has chosen York Against Cancer and the Bishopthorpe-based Brunswick Organic Nursery and Craft Workshop as the organisations he will champion during his year in the office.

This will see him involved in setting up a string of fundraising events to boost the charities’ coffers after he is installed as the city’s civic figurehead on May 21.

The 70-year-old father-of-two who represents the Bishopthorpe ward, will be the first Conservative Lord Mayor of York since 1990/91 and will replace Coun Brian Watson in the role.

“The Brunswick Nursery is based at the end of my street and I see the excellent work it does in providing opportunities for adults with learning difficulties almost every day,” he said.

“It deals with a whole range of people and offers a range of activities from gardening and seed-sowing to landscaping work, as well as its crafts section. Those who go there are an extremely happy bunch of people who all enjoy what the nursery and workshop do, and it’s great to have the opportunity to support a worthwhile organisation which is right on my doorstep.

“York Against Cancer has always done extremely positive work in improving the lives of people affected by one of the scourges of life in the latter half of the last century and is at the forefront of raising funds for research into this condition.

“It certainly deserves my support, because at the end of the day, it benefits a lot of people.”

Coun Galvin, who has been involved in politics since the age of 30, has a four-point plan for his year in office, saying: “I want to do the best I can for these charities and use my role as Lord Mayor to raise funds for them, as well as to help promote local businesses.

“I also want to help link the Lord Mayoralty with tourism and use the position to promote the city’s civic heritage, and to promote voluntary organisations.

“At the end of the year, I hope we will be able to say that we had a great time and enjoyed it, but that we have also reinforced the link between the civic team and these groups of people.”

York Against Cancer general manager Julie Barnie said: “We are thrilled to bits that Coun Galvin has chosen us as one of his named charities for next year and we are looking forward to working with him and the Brunswick nursery. Hopefully, we will be able to raise a lot of money during this time.”