The new Kirklees Mayor first eyed up the role when she was a little girl.
And now Clr Gwen Lowe can’t wait to get started when she formally becomes mayor on May 23.
Her deputy will be Clr Mumtaz Hussain, Labour member for Dewsbury West, after a family tragedy had delayed him taking up the position for a year.
The new civic team was announced by outgoing Mayor Clr Christine Iredale at her final civic reception during which she thanked organisations and businesses in the borough for hosting both the mayor and deputy mayor at events throughout the past year.
Clr Lowe, currently deputy mayor, will be joined by her husband, Ken, who will be her consort for her term of office. She has been a Kirklees councillor since 2006 representing Batley West and for many years was the chair of both the Area and District Committees.
During her term of office she will support Kirkwood Hospice and the RSPCA locally.
She said: “To be mayor is something I have dreamed about since being a little girl so it is a huge personal honour to be given the opportunity to undertake the role.
“I am looking forward to getting my sleeves rolled up.”
New deputy mayor Clr Hussain will step up to be mayor in 2019. A councillor since 2006, he was first invited to be deputy mayor last year but a family bereavement prompted him to step down. His wife, Noreen, will be the deputy mayoress.
The former taxi driver said becoming deputy mayor represented “a very proud moment” for both himself and his family.
And he paid tribute to elder brother Zulfiqar Ali who died last year following treatment for cancer.
“He supported me from day one,” he said. “When he heard I was to be deputy mayor last year he hugged me. I cannot forget that. He was so happy for me to get this role. When he died it was heartbreaking for me.”
Born in Dewsbury and educated in Ravensthorpe, at Westborough High School and Dewsbury College, father-of-five Clr Hussain took part in a YTS scheme, worked in a bedding factory and was a taxi driver for 20 years. His wife Noreen is a beautician and runs the couple’s clothing shop.
He said his experiences as a taxi driver had helped embed him within the local community.
“I like to get out and see with my own eyes some of the organisations where people are doing such good work,” he said. “This year and next year are going to be quite busy for us!”
