New Mayor takes on chains of office

Radcliffe North councillor Sharon Briggs has been elected as the new Mayor of Bury for 2013/14.

She took over the chains of office from Cllr Joan Grimshaw, who will become deputy mayor, at the annual meeting of Bury Council on 14 May.

Cllr Briggs was first elected to the council in 2002 and served eight years, before taking a break for two years and being re-elected in 2012.

She served as mayoress in 2004/5 when her late husband Barry, also a Radcliffe councillor, was mayor – this makes her unique in Bury, to have held both the mayor and mayoress posts.

A retired social worker, she has three children - Nicola, Jonathan and Natalie Wells – and two grandsons, Jordan and Joseph.

Her daughters, along with her sister Shirley Rabbitt, will jointly assist her as her mayoresses during the Mayoral year.

The mayor said: “I am really pleased and honoured to be the Mayor of Bury. It will be a privilege to work and support the people of Bury and to promote our townships.”

Cllr Briggs has chosen Making Space and Bury Cancer Support Centre to be the beneficiaries of the Mayor’s Charity Appeal.

The mayoral service will take place on Sunday (19 May) at Christ Church, Ainsworth starting at 10.30am.

ENDS

Press release issued: 17 May 2013.

Picture attached: The new Mayor of Bury, Cllr Sharon Briggs, with her mayoresses (from left) Natalie Wells, Nicola Wells, and Shirley Rabbitt.