Ipswich is a town with a diverse population, and with a mix of people from all walks of life. We are keen to highlight the work of people who make up our town, and who bring a richness and interest to our lives. In the first of these profiles I went along with a group of students from Suffolk One to meet Hamil Clarke, Mayor of Ipswich. Here’s what the students had to say about their visit, and what they learnt about the man behind the Mayoral Chains.

I was unclear what to expect or what questions I was going to ask the Mayor when I met him; however what become clear when we starting talking was that the Mayor had a passion for politics and the coming together of communities. As a student studying politics at Suffolk One, I immediately felt at ease and a sense of connection with this leading Ipswich figure.

The meeting had been arranged for myself and three other students from Suffolk One to meet the Mayor and we were warmly greeted, and welcomed into the Parlour. Over tea and biscuits we learnt lots about Hamil Clarke, the Mayor of Ipswich, who told us how, even as a young boy he was interested in politics, and would talk to his father about current topical issues.

As a group of politics students we were all keen to find out more and the Mayor was happy to share his experiences of living and working in Ipswich, including his views on society, and his background of 30 years working to promote anti-discrimination within Ipswich. ‘Ipswich is a different place now to when I was Mayor 15 years ago. Now Ipswich seems to be a greatly integrated community’. The Mayor has been, and continues to be involved in Ipswich & Suffolk Council for Racial Equality (ISCRE).

We learnt that in Ipswich there are 89 languages, which demonstrates that there is a widening welcome to all to come to live and work in Ipswich. I have to say that we were also surprised by this statistic too, as none of knew that so many languages were spoken by people in the town.

I feel the Mayor’s day-to-day work must be tough, visiting schools and other organizations, and presenting a positive approach to what is happening around us, and being positive about developments and change. When talking to him about politics it seemed unfitting for someone with so much knowledge of Ipswich to have to stay neutral in debate, and not be able to express political opinion. Nevertheless, he appears be the perfect candidate and his calm, warm demeanor means that he is very approachable and easy to talk to.

My impressions of the Mayor were that he seems to be a very patient man, with a lot to offer to those who are willing to listen. ‘We, as the older and more experienced people need to bring the young along, and encourage an interest in what goes on in a town and to develop an interest in politics’. Through listening to what the Mayor had to say I could see there are opportunities for young people to connect more with those in political roles and who could help us to learn more.

In addition to his Mayoral role, the Mayor still works within the council as a ward councillor. This appears to present a challenging workload, and I noted the Mayor’s appreciation to the people of Ipswich with some of whom have not even noticed his importance to the community.

The one question that caught him out was, ‘what would you want to be your lasting legacy when your term of office comes to an end?’ Posed with this question, he gave a silent thought, then, replied with, ‘that I have encouraged as many young people as I possibly can to be open minded to other cultures’.

And of what I see when I look around Ipswich this aspiration is a reality. His role gives hope to all, that Ipswich is not just a growing population but a growing society.

Written by Tim Moxham, in association with Samantha Cooke-Fox, Anastasia Haynes, Chloe Lynch of Suffolk One

If you are a young person thinking about studying politics then click here to discover courses available at Suffolk One. If you want to find out more about the work of local ward councillors, or maybe to find out who your ward councillor is click here.

Blogs and reviews posted on Ipswich Town and Waterfront are generated by the people who make up the community of Ipswich. If you are passionate about Ipswich and have a great story to share about our town then please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.

Natalie Chaplin