Councillors last night (Wednesday 22 May) confirmed Cllr Hilary Harrington, the elected member for Harrington and Salterbeck, as the new Mayor for Allerdale Borough Council.
Councillor Harrington will hold the post for the next 12 months and her consorts for her Mayoral year will be her friend Glennys Wiggin and son Gary Ryecroft.
Having worked as a civil servant for many years, Cllr Harrington is also a trained bereavement counsellor. She has been a councillor on Allerdale Borough Council for eight years and a Workington Town Councillor for 12 years. She spends much of her time working in the local community, fund raising and addressing the concerns of residents.
She was recently successful in her efforts to get village green status for land near Harrington Harbour and, one of her proudest achievements was to raise over £200,000 for two local community projects – Moorclose Community Centre and Bolton St Community Hall. She is also founder member and trustee of Workington Town Band. In the 1990s she raised money to help orphans in Romania which also took her on many visits to the country.
Hilary’s chose charities for the year will be Allerdale Disability Association and We Will, a local group run by 14-18 year olds from Ewanrigg in Maryport who are campaigning for more help for young people in west Cumbria with mental health problems.
At the Mayor Making ceremony Conservative Councillor Malcolm Grainger, ward member for Boltons, was also installed as Deputy Mayor.
Councillor Harrington will be the successor to the previous Mayor, Councillor John Crouch, who raised a total of £5,377.71 for his chosen causes: Amy’s Care, COSC, and the Sid8 Foundation, during his year as Mayor.
