Mayor of Harrow chooses Via as charity partner

Pictured: Vanessa Duke and Allen Quine (Via), and Councillor Anjana Patel (Mayor of Harrow).

We’re delighted to share that Via has been selected as one of the official charities of the new Mayor of Harrow, Councillor Anjana Patel, for her Mayoral year. 

The announcement was made at Harrow Council’s annual Mayor Making ceremony on 15 May, held at Elliott Hall in the Harrow Arts Centre. Via Area Director Vanessa Duke, and Service Manager, Allen Quine, were delighted to attend the event and witness Cllr Patel’s appointment as Harrow’s 73rd Mayor – and the first British Tanzanian/Indian-born Mayor in the UK. 

In her first address as Mayor, Cllr Patel shared that her theme for the year is kindness, caring and respect. Speaking about her chosen charities, she said: 

“I encourage everyone to support my charities, Via and Samaritans, who carry out vital work to help those most in need.” 

Via is honoured to be recognised alongside the national charity Samaritans, and we’re especially proud to represent the Harrow community in this role. The mayor’s support shines a spotlight on the importance of the work we do – supporting individuals and families affected by alcohol and drug use. 

Vanessa Duke, Area Director at Via said:  

“We are happy and proud to have been selected as one of Mayor Patel’s charities for the 2025/26 year. It was a great a privilege to welcome Cllr Anjana Patel to Via Harrow, and we were very honoured to attend the Mayor Making Ceremony to see her appointed as first citizen of Harrow.  Via has a long history of delivering high-quality treatment and care in the borough and we are excited to be able to raise the profile of our service to residents, enabling us to reach more people that might need our support.”