Former council worker all set to become mayor

8:22am Wednesday 14th May 2008

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The borough's first citizen is set to be female for the first time in three years after a former council worker was nominated for the post.

Councillor Helen Lee- Parsons, who represents West Twickenham on Richmond Council, is due to be elected as the borough's mayor at the annual ceremony at York House on May 20, succeeding Coun Marc Cranfield-Adams.

Coun Lee-Parsons, who worked in the travel industry before taking a position at Richmond Council working with people with learning disabilities, is the first female Mayor since 2004/05 when Coun Pat Parsons held the position.

She was first elected to the council in 2006 having been a governor at Waldegrave School, on the committee of Brunswick Youth Club and the Richmond and Twickenham Health Council, a tutor at Richmond College of Further Education and chair of the Leesons residents' association in West Twickenham.

The mother-of-three, who has chosen St Margarets and North Twickenham representative Coun Geoff Acton as her deputy mayor, has announced she will support three charities - React, a national charity for children with life-limiting illnesses, Richmond Homes for Life Trust, which provides residential homes and other services for people with learning disabilities, and The Alzheimer's Society.

Coun Lee-Parsons said she was thrilled to be proposed for the position and wanted to promote greater unity and partnership working in the community.

"There are so many voluntary organisations working to improve the quality of people's lives and I will use my mayoralty to encourage ever stronger links between them, the council and local businesses," she added.