Cramlington Town Council elects new Town Mayor and Deputy Town Mayor

Cllr Morris, who lives in Northburn and was elected to the town council for the North ward in 2019, said she was “honoured and excited” to be chosen.

She said: “I love the town. It has so many excellent facilities and groups and I have never known a more inclusive or friendly place, and that is because of the people.”

“I look forward to serving those people in my role as Town Mayor and working with my town council colleagues who, like me, take on these roles because we want to do our bit.”

She added: “I would like to thank the outgoing Town Mayor, Cllr Loraine De Simone, for her sterling work and her commitment to the town.”

Cllr Morris, who is married and has two children, is “proud” to be in charge of Cramlington Kids Club, which now looks after 400 children.

She first became involved in childcare support groups after moving to Cramlington in 1999, working as a technical support manager in the financial sector prior to that.

Cllr Morris said: “The Kids Club, which is based at Eastlea Primary School, is now the largest childcare organisation in Northumberland and I am seeing parents who were children at the club previously.”

“Coming to Cramlington as a parent meant I had to get involved with many of the groups the town has, and I can say I will never want to live anywhere else.”

Cllr Morris has chosen Macmillan Cancer Support as her Town Mayor’s charity. She said: “I have had personal experience of the work carried out by MacMillan nurses and know how valuable it is.

“I want to use my role as Town Mayor in a positive way from the get-go by raising funds for this very worthwhile cause.”

Cllr Morris said she was “delighted” to be working alongside her elected deputy, Cllr Christine Dunbar, formerly a police officer, stay-at-home mum, and environmental campaigner.

She is married to fellow councillor Norman Dunbar and has lived in Eastfield for 39 years.

Also a county councillor, she said: “In my role as Deputy Town Mayor I look forward to supporting Helen and meeting residents from the whole of the town.”