LOCALLY born Fairfield & Howley Cllr. Jean Flaherty has been elected as the 138th Mayor and First Citizen of Warrington after being sworn in during a Mayor Making ceremony at the annual meeting of the council on Monday 23 May.
Cllr. Flaherty was born in the Fairfield and Howley ward of Warrington and while she has moved around the town over the years, she returned to live in Fairfield and Howley in 1991. She and her husband, Terry Flaherty, who will be her Mayoral Consort, have three children, five grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.
After many years of volunteering in her local community, Jean decided to stand for the role of councillor in the Fairfield and Howley ward, currently working alongside fellow ward councillors, Tony Higgins and Sagheer Zaman. She thoroughly enjoys the community aspect of her role and listening to and supporting the needs of local residents.
Since being elected to the council in May 2016, Cllr. Flaherty has served as Chair of the council’s ‘Building stronger communities’ committee and has been heavily involved in the development of the Central 6 Masterplan, as well as continuing to volunteer in her own community and develop a network of community groups across the town.
In recent years, her work has focused on community development, communication and the environment. Cllr. Flaherty helped to drive forward the council’s investment in revitalising the successful Pavilion Tea Rooms in St. Elphin’s Park, funding two refurbishments over five years, which have resulted in a successful community offering in the heart of the Fairfield and Howley ward. Jean is also involved with the Litter Network, having supported the CLEAN initiatives in 2017 and 2022.
Commenting on her role as Mayor of Warrington Cllr. Flaherty said: “It is a privilege to take on the role of Mayor in the town where I was born and have lived most of my life.
“I am eager to support local communities as we continue to recover from the coronavirus pandemic and can once again focus more on the projects and initiatives that make a real difference to our town and its people. I want to encourage people in Warrington to love where they live and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to thrive and lead healthy and happy lives.
“I would like to say a big thank you to our outgoing Mayor, Cllr Maureen Creaghan, for the fantastic job she has done as First Citizen of Warrington through what has been a challenging time for us all.”
Cllr Flaherty will be supported by Cllr Graham Friend as Deputy Mayor of Warrington.
The Mayor has chosen four charities to support through the Mayor’s charity appeal throughout the year:
·St Joseph’s Family Centre – provides a range of services to support people and families in overcoming stress and family breakdown
·Refuge (Warrington Independent Domestic Violence and Abuse Service) – supports women and men experiencing domestic abuse
·Footsteps – provides support to anyone affected by someone else’s drug or alcohol use
·PAPYRUS – a charity supporting the prevention of young suicide
1 Comment
Congratulations.