Pat Kynaston

Pat started her main career in TSB Bank as a clerk and moved through cashier, marketing, assistant to an area manager and finally as banking liaison & support in their computer centre. In 1992 she left the Bank and set up her own company offering privately organised coach tours to social groups. Pat joined the Town Council in 2015 and that has filled the time gap left by semi-retirement.  She was elected as Mayor in 2017, in 2018 and is currently Mayor for the 3rd time 22-23.  She is quite definite that, although it has been a privilege, 3 times is definitely enough!

Pat first became involved with WEA in 1993 when she went with her father to a local history class. He was suffering with depression at the time and this was recommended to try and lift his mood. She was considered young in relation to the general age of the class and was therefore ‘asked’ if she would become class secretary. She became District, then Regional, rep for the Branch and by 2003 she was Regional Chairman for what is now North West Region. She was briefly on the NEC before it became WEA Council and has been involved nationally virtually every year since. 
 
She has always been passionate about learning, both as a necessity to improve someone’s prospects but also for the pleasure of learning for its own sake.  She believes the WEA combines this to a consistently high standard in a world that has not always valued both of these elements.  
 
Her view of WEA:  'WEA members and volunteers have always been the lifeblood of the organisation and I see a significant part of the President’s role as representing the volunteers to ensure that they continue to be valued within the organisation. I intend to support the drive to revitalise their role in making the WEA as relevant and vital in the 21st century as it was at the start of the 20th'.