Book loving new Lord Mayor promises to get Sheffield reading and raise awareness of women’s safety

Labour councillor Sioned-Mair Richards has taken over from Liberal Democrat councillor Gail Smith and her Lord Mayor’s consort will be councillor Jackie Satur.

At her inauguration yesterday, which friends and family had travelled to watch, Coun Richards said: “If you are among those people making Sheffield the brilliant place that we’re proud to call home, then I can’t wait to meet you.

“Please, please invite me, and Jackie the Lady Mayoress to see what you or your group are doing. I’m really looking forward to getting out and meeting people. Those having 100th birthday parties, those organising friendship lunches, those making charity events happen, those working to change lives, those volunteering quietly.”

Originally from Wales, Coun Richards moved to Sheffield for love 21 years ago to be with her husband Howard – who was a councillor from 1978 to 1993 – and she now lives in Burngreave with her son Dan and their cat Titch.

She has been involved in local government most of her life over 40 years, including as a researcher for an MP, and is now semi-retired but kept busy with council work.

Besides politics, her life’s passion is reading and her house is filled with books of various genres. In her spare time, she volunteers at Ecclesfield library every week.

“We have a playgroup on a Friday where the children race about, carrying books, being read to and generally associating libraries with having a good time,” she said. “I’ll be there as usual this Friday, though wearing my chain. Just for show.”

Coun Richards promised that every Wednesday while Lord Mayor her parlour will welcome children from across the city to read with her and talk about books.

She added: “I’ll also be going out to meet groups in libraries and doing all I can to pass on the love of reading to the children of Sheffield. As well as this, I’ll be fundraising to make sure books are part of the lives of all our children.”

Another goal for her time as Lord Mayor is to keep a promise she made to Howard who died two years ago in the Palliative Care Unit at the Northern General Hospital.

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She said: “The care was second to none but we both agreed at the time that the building needed brightening up, modernising and making more comfortable.”

So she will be raising money for the Palliative Care Unit to make it “the place that the dying and their families need”.

She will also be fundraising to support women and children who have suffered domestic abuse and working to raise awareness about women’s safety in all parts of their lives.