About the Mayor

The Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane for 2024/25 is Cllr Dan Putty.

Mayor's biography

Dan (Danesh) was born in Mauritius and stayed on the island with his family throughout his primary, secondary and tertiary education, even helping his grandfather and uncle in their financial business from the age of nine. After leaving school he had the choice of travelling to India to undertake a degree or follow his best friend Tony to England to study nursing. His decision was to travel to England.

Dan arrived in the United Kingdom in 1970 and studied nursing in Basingstoke, qualifying as a mental health nurse. After undertaking some further training in Dorchester, Dan settled in Basingstoke.

Dan is father to two sons Ryan and Sean and has six grandchildren. He recently acquired two extra grandchildren after adopting a family friend as his daughter.

Alongside a demanding career in nursing, Dan managed to support his local community by working as a volunteer driver for Hampshire social services. He also served as a school governor in local primary and secondary schools and helped at Basingstoke Athletic Club – a club both of his sons competed for.

Dan gave up work as a nurse after sustaining an injury. He then chose to return to the financial services sector and took on roles at Allied Dunbar and Scottish Amicable as a financial management consultant. In 1987 he was appointed as a Magistrate in the petty sessional division of Basingstoke sitting in adult and family courts.

Over the years Dan has supported a number of organisations in various capacities, including Hampshire Anglo-Mauritian Society, Basingstoke Council of Community Services, the Rape Crisis group, the Community Health Council, the Health Improvement Committee and the Sail Panel.

He is a former trustee of Kingfisher Housing Association and Sovereign Housing (formerly Wessex Housing) and Basingstoke District Sports Trust. He also previously served as a holding trustee of Hatch Warren Community Centre.

He is currently a trustee of Basingstoke Youth Action Trust/Basingstoke ITEC.

He has also volunteered for the Juvenile Justice Unit for more than 10 years. The organisation supports young people by taking them on outdoor adventure activities. In addition to this Dan has undertaken a large amount of charity work raising funds for St Michael’s Hospice, Charlie Day Case Unit and for equipment for the Cardiac Group at Basingstoke Sports Centre, a group he has been involved in since undergoing a quadruple heart bypass in 1998.

This is Dan’s second term as Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane having carried out the role in 2013 to 2014. Dan’s was elected as a borough councillor for Hatch Warren and Beggarwood in 1995 and represents this ward today.

The Mayor’s theme for 2024–2025

Community Cohesion

The Mayor is a strong believer that when communities work together, they become happier and more united places to live and work. The Mayor and Mayoress will focus their year on bringing communities together to enhance the wellbeing of all.

Mayoress

Marie-Noelle Stephen Putty (Mano) was born in Mauritius. She and Dan were childhood sweethearts, having met at school. After leaving school their lives took different paths with Mano moving to Australia and Dan to the UK.

While living in Australia, Mano studied pharmaceuticals and married and had four children. She then worked in the insurance industry. She and Dan were reunited after 52 years when they were put back in contact by Mano’s cousin. Mano cared for Dan during his treatment for prostate cancer and the couple married in Mauritius in August 2023.

Mano enjoys cookery, travelling and spending time with her 12 grandchildren.

The Deputy Mayor

The Mayor asks the Deputy Mayor to stand in if the Mayor is not available.

The Deputy Mayor for 2024/25 is Cllr Colin Phillimore.