Welcoming Jayne Dunn to the new Mayor of Sheffield

Cllr Jayne Dunn has been voted in as the new Right Worshipful Lord Mayor of Sheffield and was inaugurated at Sheffield City Council’s Annual General Meeting.

Attendees in the room included Cllr Nabeela Mowlana, who said the new mayor “exemplified the qualities of a true leader” and was someone who “acts with integrity” and “unwavering commitment”.

Jayne is the city’s number 127^th Lord Mayor and welcomed her role saying “I am truly honored to have been elected as Lord Mayor of Sheffield” to the room.

“Since I was elected in 2012, I have seen this duty undertaken by 11 mayors, which each mayor has clearly tried to represent their people, their history, their cultures and their communities. At every event, function, the mayor should make people feel special, and that’s what I intend to do.”

Jayne was first elected to the Council in 2012 as a member of the Broomhill ward and has represented the Southey ward since 2016. “When I became a councilor it was about changing lives, what we have seen over the last 12 years is the Lord Mayor. it’s a role that can reach everyone. Sheffield’s strength is its pride, its people and Henderson’s Relish of course.”

During her time as a councillor, Jayne has held a number of roles and gained a wide range of experience.

Throughout her career as a councillor, Jayne has taken on a number of important roles, including as cabinet member for housing and education and skills.

Jayne has also chaired Licensing and Planning Committees and is currently Chair of the South Yorkshire Pensions Authority. In each of these roles, Jayne has championed the voice and lived experience of those who are vulnerable and worked hard to improve their life chances and service experiences.

Jayne has also raised awareness of menopause and period equality issues, including working across groups to help design the city’s first Period Equality Charter.

The Mayor of Sheffield, Jayne Dunn, said: “I am deeply honored to be elected Lord Mayor of Sheffield. This role is about fostering pride and representing what is great about our city – for me Sheffield’s strength is its people. Throughout my life in Sheffield, through good times and bad, I have been lucky to live in a community that looks out for each other. As Lord Mayor, I will ensure that the achievements of our residents and the dedication they show to the city are given a platform. That’s why I’ve appointed 12 community champions who will help me promote Sheffield over the next year.”

Born and raised in Sheffield, Jayne attended King Ecgbert’s School in Dore and studied at Granville College.

Jayne was a single mother who raised her son on welfare and lived in public housing after being evicted from her home.

After retraining at college, Jayne set up her own business, a beauty salon, and has been a self-employed trader in Broomhill since 2000.

Jayne has experience raising money for local charities, including trekking across the Sahara to raise funds for local youth homeless charity Roundabout. During the lockdowns due to the pandemic, Jayne painted to raise money for local causes. In her spare time, Jayne enjoys painting, running and yoga.

For the coming year, the Mayor will raise awareness of the issues that are important to the people of Sheffield, with each month dedicated to a specific issue with a dedicated community champion:

• May – mental health
• June – arts and culture
• July – independent businesses
• August – open air city
• September – carers
• October – Black History Month
• November – male health and well-being
• December – family
• January – Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking
• February – young people
• March – women’s health awareness month
• April – Disability Awareness

The Lord Mayor-elect’s chosen charities are The Archer Project and Roundabout.

Lord Mayor Cllr Jayne Dunn concluded her acceptance speech: “Thank you, councillors, friends, for electing me to office and placing your trust in me for the civic year ahead.”