Warrington Borough Councillors – Nov 2011

Mike has lived in the area since 1963 and attended Lymm Grammar School before qualifying as a teacher. He spent some time in Essex and Kent where he worked for BBC Radio Kent and Local Radio Network. Upon his return home in 1982 he worked for BBC Childrens’ Television and did Supply Teaching throughout Warrington in both Primary and High Schools. Mike took early retirement in 2003 and has been a Parish Councillor for four years and a Borough Councillor since May of 2006.

“To be honest,” he says ” My work as a Councillor is so absorbing and demanding that I have little time for anything else, though I still do occasional work in TV and Film and continue to teach in local schools. Representing the people of Grappenhall and Thelwall is such a privilege and I get real satisfaction from working for the benefit of individuals and the Community”

Liz has been a Borough Councillor since May 2005 and a Sankey Parish Councillor for 4 years. She is an Executive Board Member on Warrington Borough Council with responsibility for Neighbourhoods and Communities, Equality and Diversity. She was the Secretary of Warrington Liberal Democrats for 6 years, and is still and Executive member of the local party.

She was born and educated in Liverpool and moved to Warrington in 1967. She has been an Education Welfare Officer, Youth Leader and spent 22 years working with Scouts in Penketh and across the Borough (Group Scout Leader and Assistant Commissioner). She has also spent 20 years managing a project for NCH The Children’s Charity, working with vulnerable families with young children in Widnes and Runcorn

Graham has represented Latchford West for three years, Elaine having been Ward Councillor for two years before this. Graham is a member of the Executive of the Latchford Forum and attends the various Residents Association Meetings in the Ward. He has a weekly commitment to drive the Community Bus. After being re-elected in May 2006, Graham was appointed to the Executive Board of the Joint Administration with Responsibility for “Safer Communities, Greener and Cleaner.

Graham was born in Orford and is married to Elaine, with a grown up son, daughter and two grandchildren. Both Graham and Elaine are retired teachers. Graham is an Associate Governor of Latchford C.E Primary School. He is involved in Youth Work and has served on the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee

Bob is Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat group and spokesman on Planning, Regeneration and Housing. He is a retired University Lecturer, Visiting Professor at the University of Liverpool and still chairs the company spun out of his university laboratory. He is an urban and social geographer, which has led to his interest in the planning and regeneration job he now holds, he is also an IT specialist and was awarded his OBE in 2008 “for services to geography”.

Bob is particularly interested in housing and is particularly proud of the successful stock transfer which has passed control of all the Council’s rented properties to the newly established Golden Gates Housing Trust.

Bob is married to Caroline who works with child minders and care settings to monitor and help improve standards. They have two daughters both still in full time education.

Bob is a keen social networker, he has a blog at www.cllrbobbarr.net and appears on Twitter as CllrBobBarr.

Ian is Leader of the Lib Dem Group on Warrington Council. He was first elected to represent Lymm in 1983 and has been a member of Lymm Parish Council since 1979. He was educated at Cambridge University and has held a number of senior management positions in the glass industry. Ian is on the Board of Warrington Housing Association and Chairman of Lymm Festival. He has stood as a parliamentary candidate in Warrington South on three occasions. In his spare time he enjoys playing tennis and travelling. Ian and his wife Pam, a special needs teacher in inner-city Manchester, have two grown-up children.

On Warrington Borough Council, Sue Chair of Children’s Services and Safer Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Chairs’ Forum. She is a member of Resources and Customer Access Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Employee Appeals, Corporate Parenting Group and Member Development Forum. She represents the Council on other bodies: Schools’ Forum, Local Admissions Forum, Schools Organisation Committee, Warrington Arts Council, and Sandy Lane Older People’s Centre

Outside the council, Sue works as a Creative Writing teacher in Adult Education, with weekly classes in Altrincham and Wilmslow as well as Warrington. She writes poetry and plays and has begun a novel (several times!). She runs a Drama Group for young people at Thelwall Quays. Community Centre and is a Warrington magistrate, where she is currently Chair of the Youth Bench. In any remaining spare time, Sue enjoys going to the theatre, reading and TV drama. She is married to Geoff, who teaches locally, and has lived in Warrington since 1982.

Celia has been a Stockton Heath Borough Councillor since 1987. She is currently chair of the Borough’s Development Control Committee and is also Deputy Mayor. She taught in secondary schools for over 40 years and was chair of the governors of Bridgewater High School for 5 years. She is chair of the Management Board of St. Roccos Hospice and in 2005 she was awarded the M.B.E. for services to the local community.

Celia says: “It is a privilege to represent Stockton Heath on the Borough Council, I enjoy being involved with local organisations and people and must have helped with hundreds of local problems and grumbles over the years”.

Kevin, who is married with two children, has lived locally for some time and also serves as a Parish Councillor for Great Sankey. He works a government officer here in Warrington and was elected in a landslide result in May 2008.

Before his election Kevin worked closely with his fellow Liberal Democrat Councillors for Whittle Hall ward on important issues such as anti-social behaviour and he continues to see this as a major issue for local residents.