Former mayors, 2011-2020

• Party: Dewsbury West Labour
• Term of Office: 2019 - 2021
• Mayoress: Noreen Hussain
• Deputy Mayor: Councillor Nigel Patrick
• Charity Appeal: Samaritans and Diabetes UK

Details:

• Councillor Hussain is the first Mayor to have served for 2 years. This was due to the coronavirus pandemic and being unable to host the usual annual Mayor Making ceremony. Throughout his term in office, he also led the tributes of the citizens of Kirklees when HRH Prince Philip passed away in 2021.
• Councillor Hussain is very proud to be born and bred in Dewsbury.
• He attended Ravensthorpe Junior School, and then Westborough High School, and all of his family, including his extended family, live in Dewsbury.
• Married for 31 years, to his wife Noreen, together they have five children. A proud family man and says becoming a grandfather was one of the happiest moments in his life.
• A self-employed businessman in Kirklees, he has been a taxi driver for over 20 years.
• During the pandemic he continued to support and reach out to local community groups and proudly volunteered at a local food bank.
• He has a number of memorable moments including, attending the Queen's annual Garden Party with is wife Noreen, meeting Malala Yousafzai at a local awards ceremony and highlighting the work of community groups, businesses and charities across Kirklees.

• Party: Batley West Labour and Co-operative
• Term of Office: 2018 - 2019
• Consort: Ken Lowe
• Deputy Mayor: Councillor Mumtaz Hussain
• Charity Appeal: RSPCA and Kirkwood Hospice

Details:

• Gwen is very proud that she is Batley born 'n' bred, born September 1958 in Batley Maternity Home.
• Gwen's first school was Manorfield Infants, then Staincliffe Junior School, followed by Batley Girls' Grammar School 1970-77. She proudly admits that she still has her school scarf, beret (complete with Prefect tassel), hymn book and Bible. At the age of 50 she gained a Post Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Modernisation - you're never too old to study!
• She has worked night shifts at Dewsbury District Hospital for over 27 years as an Accident & Emergency Receptionist.
• Gwen was very honoured to be first elected in Batley West in 2006 and thoroughly enjoys her role. For many years she was the Chair of both the Area and District Committees. She has sat on many different committees and panels which have included WYCA Transport, Planning, and Community Safety Scrutiny. Her main passions are Environmental and Community Safety so is very passionate about her long standing position as Chair of the Batley Neighbourhood Management Group.
• Gwen is involved in many local activities and groups and loves getting her hands dirty - including wading in wellies in a millpond. She is Chair of The Friends of Batley Railway Station which she set up with the late Jo Cox MP. She is also Vice Chair of The Friends of Staincliffe Park where she spent many happy hours as a child.
• Gwen's family are the most important people in her life and is always in awe of their amazing support to her. Gwen has been married to Ken for over eight years. She has a daughter Ashleigh, son Joseph and an older brother, David. On March 1st this year Gwen was over the moon when Ashleigh and Nick had their first child Max - Gwen's first grandchild and first great grandchild for her mum Margaret.
• "Me Time" is something Gwen doesn't get much of but when she does she loves being with her family, long walks with her daft dog Bentley, narrow boating with Ken, reading, gardening and eating carrot cake.
• Gwen really loves meeting people. hearing and seeing what they are doing and is so looking forward to taking on her duties as part of the Mayoral team. It was Gwen's "little girl's dream" to be the Mayor of Batley, so it's an even greater honour to have been nominated for this role to represent not just Batley but the whole of Kirklees Council.

• Party: Liberal Democrat
• Term of Office: 2017 - 2018
• Consort: Robert Iredale
• Deputy Mayor: Councillor Gwen Lowe
• Charity Appeal: Dementia UK and Alzheimer's Society

Details:

• Christine was born in Kirkheaton and was educated at Kirkheaton CE school. She moved to Cowlersley in 1960
• She left school at the age of 15 to work in the textile industry and later went on to work as a Home Care Assistant for 18 years.
• Christine is married to Robert, and has 2 daughters, Rochelle and Briony, 7 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren, with whom she spends as much time as possible.
• Christine was elected as a Councillor in 2003 and became chair of the Licensing and Safety Committee in 2007. She has also served on the Planning Sub-Committe (Huddersfield Area) and Overview and Scrutiny Panel for Well-being and Communities. She was also chair of one of the Education School Transport Appeals Panel.
• She is involved in many local activities, which include being a member of Milnsbridge Liberal Club and Milnsbridge Bowling Club. She is also a member on the Longwood Sing Committee, a member of the Women's section of the Royal British Legion, and a keen support of Golcar Lily Day.
• Her Hobbies include taking part in quizzes as a member of her local quiz team, playing bingo, reading and crosswords. She is a very down to earth person, who enjoys a cuppa and a good natter!
• Christine is extremely proud to be the first Golcar Councillor elected to the role.

• Party: Conservative
• Term of Office: 2016 - 2017
• Mayoress: Carol Dodds
• Deputy Mayor: Councillor Christine Iredale
• Charity Appeal: The Royal British Legion

Details:

• Jim was born in Selkirk, Scotland, but from an early age was brought up on a farm some ten miles from Newcastle.
• He attended Prudhoe Comprehensive School, leaving at the age of fifteen to join the army as an apprentice in Harrogate and made his career in the army, retiring as a Major in the Royal Signals after 35 years. During his time with the Armed Services Jim served in Germany, Cyprus, Northern Ireland and Singapore. In 1979 he received a BEM in the Queen's Christmas Honours List, for services to charity.
• A keen sportsman, Jim represented his various units in hockey, squash, golf, cross country and orienteering. A life long supporter of Newcastle United, he is very much aware that to achieve success in life you must be in the race for the duration and not just a sprint. He still enjoys golf, travelling and spending time with his grandchildren.
• On leaving the Armed Services Jim and his wife Carol enjoyed running a hotel for a few years in Harrogate. It was during this period that he became Chairman of the Harrogate Hoteliers Association and also became instrumental in the formation of the High Harrogate Business Association and his interest in local politics began.
• In 2002 he moved to Kirklees (to be nearer his family) and took a more active interest in politics, having always been a Conservative Party supporter. Jim was elected as a Councillor for the Denby Dale Ward in 2004 and later became Cabinet Member for Children's Services and then additionally took on the role of Deputy Leader of Kirklees Council. He also served as the Leader of the Conservative Group
• He is Chairman of the Denby Dale Community Project which has replaced the existing Library in Denby Dale with a new building that will be home to the library, internet Café and charity shop.
• Jim is happily married to Carol, who he met when he was an apprentice soldier in Harrogate. Not only has she supported him throughout their married life, but managed her own varied career, nursery teacher, secretary, PA and Estate Office Manager. They have two grown up children and two grandchildren and both believe strongly in the importance of the family unit.

• Party: Labour
• Term of Office: 2015 - 2016
• Mayoress: Susan Bedford
• Deputy Mayor: Councillor Jim Dodds
• Charity Appeal: Diabetes Care

Details:

• Paul is 58 years old and has been a councillor for the Dewsbury East Ward for the past 20 years. He has 2 sons, Michael and James.
• He was born and brought up in Dewsbury, where he has lived all his life and has recently left his full time role as a Technical Contracts Manager for a local housing association, to concentrate on his aivic duty of Mayor. He worked there for over 21 years in various positions including a Construction Clerk of Works and Surveyor.
• Paul started his construction career at Dewsbury Council Public Works Department in the building trade. It gave him great pleasure to Chair the Building Services Committee for 5 years when he became a councillor.
• Paul has held many positions on the council and has been the Chair of the Heavy Woollen Planning Committee for the past 10 years and Chair of the Huddersfield Planning Committee for the past 8 months. He has also chaired the Dewsbury Regeneration Board for the last 5 years and was the Chair of the National Association of Councillors, the trade union for elected members, for the whole of England for 4 years.
• Paul says 'I have had the remarkable honour of being the Mayor for the last 12 months meeting some wonderful people and engaging in many differing events. To experience the esteem, in which our communities hold the civic office and their representatives, has been truly amazing.
• I am proud of my upbringing and believe that through hard work and commitment most people can achieve recognition. I humbly thank my group for this honour they have bestowed upon me and also think this is an honour for my home town of Dewsbury.'

• Party: Labour
• Term of Office: 2014 - 2015
• Mayoress: Christine Smith
• Deputy Mayor: Councillor Paul Kane
• Charity Appeal: Kirkwood Hospice

Details:

• Ken was born and raised with four older sisters in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire though has not lived there since he went to university. A graduate of London and Liverpool Universities, Ken has also lived in Hampshire, Derbyshire and Pembrokeshire before settling in West Yorkshire in 1980.
• His active hobbies have been soccer and fishing but he hasn't time for either at present!
• He lost his wife Anne, a teacher and councillor, to cancer in 2006 and lives alone as his one adult daughter lives and teaches in London.
• He has been a Kirklees councillor for the Huddersfield area in which he lives on two separate occasions, from 1984 to 1992 and from 1999 to the current time. His political interests have been crime reduction, family life and finance.
• He has been Deputy Leader of Kirklees Council.
• Ken was Deputy Chair of the west Yorkshire Police Authority for several years and served on that until it was abolished in 2012. He set up one of the country's first formal partnership bodies between police, council and other agencies in 1987, a movement which led to the statutory national system of these partnerships today.

• Party: Conservative
• Term of Office: 2013 - 2014
• Mayoress: Mrs Liz Bolt
• Deputy Mayor: Councillor Ken Smith
• Charity Appeal: One Community Foundation

Details:

• Martyn was born in Mirfield and has been a Councillor there since 1997, first on Mirfield Town Council subsequently also on Kirklees Council where he has served continuously for 15 years.
• He is married to Liz, and they celebrated their silver wedding anniversary during their Mayoralty, they have 3 children.
• Martyn studied at Whitcliffe Mount School in Cleckheaton, and during his term of office used the Civic Mace donated by the Mowat family, who were also benefactors of the school after whom the school house Martyn was in at Whitcliffe was named.
• Martyn is a former Mayor of Mirfield (2004/5), and says it is a great honour to be the first Councillor from Mirfield to be elected as Mayor of Kirklees.
• Liz is an early years professional, and for the last 15 years has worked as Pre-school Manager at Roberttown Community Centre pre-school. She gained a BA in Early Years at Huddersfield University in 2011. Liz has also been a school governor at Roberttown Junior & Infant School for several years, and enjoys gardening, reading and cinema in her spare time. Her grandfather Harry Oldroyd was also a councillor on the former Dewsbury District Council and then with Kirklees Council after its creation in 1974.
• Away from the Council Martyn likes the outdoors having taken part in many long distance walking events, before taking up cycling again in 2002. Martyn is a member of Ravensthorpe Cycling Club, one of the oldest clubs in the country, he has twice completed the arduous Paris-Brest-Paris ride. Which demands riders complete a 1200km route in under 90 hours.
• Martyn worked for a national cycling charity before being made redundant in 2012 and has been involved with the successful project to bring the Tour de France to Yorkshire. He now organises charity and commercial cycling events.
• Martyn is a trustee of a cycle campaign charity and the Mirfield Educational charity, he is the secretary of a memorial fund which helps young cyclists start their professional careers and if there is any time left is a member of the Woodsmoke Masonic lodge in Mirfield, which was connected to the Scout movement which Martyn was a member of as a youth.

• Party: Liberal Democrat
• Term of Office: 2012 - 2013
• Mayoress: Mrs Karen Ridgway
• Charity Appeal: Yorkshire Regiment Benevolent Trust

Details:

• Born in Sheffield.
• Married with 3 children.
• First elected as councillor in Kirklees in 1996.
• Has previously served on the Passenger Transport Authority.
• Served on the Fire Authority from 2008-2012 and as its Chair for the last three of those years.
• Proud to have helped raise over £60,000 for his chosen mayoral charity - its largest ever single donation.
• Worked in financial services for 25 years.
• Ran a successful Huddersfield town centre restaurant for 4 years.
• Now involved in working to transform connections between business and local government.

• Party: Labour
• Term of Office: 2011 - 2012
• Mayoress: Mrs Janet Firth
• Deputy Mayor: Councillor Christine Iredale
• Charity Appeal: In aid of The Forget Me Not Children's Hospice

Details:

• Eric was born in the Dewsbury Constituency the eldest of six children and has lived there all his life; in fact he has never lived more than two and a half miles from where he was born.
• He was educated at Springfield Junior and Infant School and later at Batley Carr and Dewsbury Technical School. He left school on a Friday and started work the following Monday, at the age of 15, as an apprentice painter and decorator.
• He has been active in the Trade Union and Labour movement all his adult life and still is although he has recently stood down as chair of 9/601 Unite, the branch he chaired for more than twenty years, which was the branch where the Labour Party was formed.
• He was asked to stand as a Councillor on numerous occasions and he eventually succumbed and successfully stood for the council in 1994. He lost his seat in 2006 but was returned in the same ward the following year.
• Eric has been married to his wife Janet for 41 years; they have two children and two grandchildren whom they both adore.
• Representing the Dewsbury East Constituency where he has always lived, and working for the people and organisations within it, gives him a great deal of satisfaction. He enjoys helping local people, who seek his help, frequently. As a Ward Councillor Eric enjoys contributing to and shaping policies and strategies that will affect Dewsbury residents now, and for generations to come. He looks forward, as Mayor, to sharing with different organisations and residents the civic pride across all parts of the Borough.
• Outside of work Eric loves spending time with his grandchildren and watching Dewsbury Rams and Shaw Cross ARLFC. He also bought some woods 3 years ago with the intention of taking up crown green bowling but they are still in the bag!
• Eric feels that being part of the Mayoral team is a great honour for him and his family. He is looking forward to meeting the many diverse groups of people and organisations that live and work in Kirklees. It will be, he says, an enjoyable experience and one he is looking forward to.