Tom Wootton is the Elected Mayor and leader of Bedford Borough Council.
He is a Conservative and was elected Mayor on 4 May 2023.
Prior to his election as Mayor, he served on Bedford Borough Council as Councillor for the Wyboston ward.
Bedford Borough Council is one of 16 Councils in the country to have a directly elected Mayor. Unlike traditional ceremonial mayors, directly elected mayors have wide decision-making powers and provide the political leadership of the Council.
He appoints Councillors to his Executive, and is responsible for the majority of Council services.
As Mayor, he represents Bedford Borough on a local, regional and national basis.
See the Council Constitution for full information on Council decision making and responsibilities.
If you have an issue you would like the Mayor to look into please telephone: 01234 718840 or email MayorsCasework@bedford.gov.uk.
For diary appointments/civic and ceremonial engagements* please telephone 01234 718800 or email the Mayor’s Personal Assistant Cara.Cosson@bedford.gov.uk.
*For civic and ceremonial engagements, we usually require a minimum of six weeks' notice for planning the diary, although we may be able to accommodate shorter timescale requests if diaries allow.
You can also write to:
Mayor Tom Wootton
Bedford Borough Council
Borough Hall
Cauldwell Street
Bedford
MK42 9AP
The elected Mayor of Bedford Borough, Tom Wootton, supported the nomination of The Elisabeth Curtis Centre Riding for the Disabled and The Place Theatre, Bradgate Road, Bedford, to benefit from the fundraising undertaken on behalf of the Mayor’s Charity in 2026/2027.
The Speaker of the Council, Councillor Tim Caswell, nominated Dwell Well and Friendship Link and Action Group (FLAG) as the charities for his period of office and is supporting the fund-raising endeavours for the benefit of all the charities, along with the Mayor.
The Bedford Mayor’s Charity is registered with the Charity Commission on 6 October 2005, Charity number 1111584.
It is Council practice to consider the application of its income each year and, in doing so, to nominate organisations to benefit from fundraising and promotion undertaken by the Mayor’s Charity.
Please donate to: NatWest Bank
Account Name: Bedford Borough Council Mayors Charity
Account Number: 71310851
Sort Code: 60-02-13
The Elisabeth Curtis Centre Riding for the Disabled is a purpose-built centre in Bromham, Bedford which caters solely for disabled participants, and was officially opened on 19 April 1983 by HRH The Princess Royal, President of the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA).
The centre offers a range of activities with horses including riding, horse care and carriage driving and provides participants therapy, fitness, skill development and the opportunity to achieve using horses and ponies.
The Place Theatre, Bradgate Road, Bedford opened in 2003 and has developed a reputation among local audiences as one of the best places to see high-quality and cutting-edge professional theatre, as well as being the home of Bedford’s amateur and community-led theatre companies.
The venue showcases a year-round programme of theatre, music and film presenting a varied cross-section of work for the community: spanning children’s theatre, music, musical theatre, comedy, as well as its core contemporary drama programme. As well as performance-based activities, it provides a hub for local community groups, with many local groups offering
Dwell Well is based at St Mary’s Church in Goldington. They fill boxes with household essentials (bedding and crockery for example) for vulnerable people who have a new home of their own after being homeless or are fleeing domestic violence.
They cover the whole Borough and take referrals from a wide range of professionals. All staff are volunteers so 100% of donations are spent on filling the boxes.
Friendship Group and Action Link (FLAG) are a self-help group run by and for people with learning and physical disabilities. They meet weekly and organise a wide range of trips and activities throughout the year. They have one member of staff (five hours a week) and this and their core costs met by the Harpur Trust so anything we raise will be spent on trips or activities beyond the weekly meetings.