Redbridge Mayor
Cllr Sheila Bain, Mayor of Redbridge 2024/25 Municipal Year
It’s a great honour and privilege to be Mayor of Redbridge. I look forward to representing and promoting the Borough as Mayor, to meeting many local residents and businesses and visiting many groups and organisations during my year as Mayor.
I have lived in Redbridge for 37 years and raised my three children here. I was born and brought up in East Ham, where my Irish mother and Scottish father had made their home, and my entire career has been spent in local government in east London.
I have been serving Redbridge as a Councillor in Wanstead since 2014. I have served on a number of Council committees and also as a Cabinet member for eight years. I am Redbridge Animal Welfare Champion and sit on the Management Committee of Wanstead House Community Association.
In my year as Mayor I want to help raise the profile of our Borough, our people, our businesses and our community groups. We are a diverse borough. This diversity is reflected in the range of positive activities across Redbridge. I particularly want to shine a light on our volunteers, people who do not even consider themselves volunteers but make a huge difference to people’s lives. Their tireless work and commitment is what helps to make Redbridge such a special place to live.
I will be supported in my Mayoral Year by my Consort Cameron Bain. Father Martin Boland , Parish Priest of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Wanstead, will serve as Mayor’s Chaplain. My Cadet will be Flight Sergeant Samah Sadat of 241 Wanstead & Woodford Squadron.
The Mayor traditionally fundraises for charity and during my Mayoral Year I will be fundraising and supporting two charities, St Francis Hospice and The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.
St Francis Hospice
St Francis Hospice is an independent charity serving Redbridge and neighbouring boroughs. It specialises in providing compassionate care and support for people living in Redbridge who have been diagnosed with a serious illness and those requiring end of life care. It also provides vital support to their carers and family members. The Team at St. Francis are dedicated to working to ensure that everyone affected by death, dying and bereavement gets the care and support they need when they need it. The Hospice receives less than 30% of its funding from government with the rest having to be raised through fundraising and charitable donations and needs to raise £8m each year. There is no cost to patients or families for the services provided.
The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
Guide Dogs for the Blind charity, which has a regional centre in Woodford Green, provides specialist breeding and training of dogs to help adults, children and young people overcome the challenges of sight loss and find ways to live actively and independently. There are 2 million people living with sight loss in the UK and 28,000 blind or partially sighted children. Many people with sight loss feel isolated, impacting on their mental health and confidence and guide dogs provide them with a life of independence and freedom. The charity receives no funding from the government. Their funding and ability to provide services and training of guide dogs was severely impacted by Covid and funding is now desperately required to enable them to carry on their work.
Cllr John Howard will be supporting me as Deputy Mayor with his consort Ian Dylan Thomas.
I am extremely proud to be your Mayor and am excited to spend the next year serving our borough.
I will be organising various fundraising events for my charities during the next 12 months and would be delighted to receive your support.
Donations to the Mayor's Appeal
If you or your organisation wishes to make a donation to the Mayor's Charity Appeal, please make cheques payable to ‘The Mayor’s Appeal” and send to Mayor’s Office, Redbridge Town Hall, 128-142 High Road, Ilford, Essex, IG1 1DD.
Payments can be also be made direct to the Mayor’s Appeal account quoting the details below:
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Your donation will be gratefully accepted.
Invitations to the Mayor
The civic protocol requires that the Mayor, as the First citizen of the Borough, considers each invitation request to determine whether or not they, or the Deputy Mayor, are able to accept the invitation.
Completing this form does not confirm the attendance of the Mayor/ Deputy Mayor.
Confirmation will be sent to all successful applications.
To support your application, please complete this form as fully as possible and return it to us at least 14 days before the function.
Mayor of Redbridge’s Community Awards
Do you know an unsung hero within your family, your street or your community? Or a group or organisation that has made a positive and selfless contribution to the lives of Redbridge residents? Why not enter them into our community awards this year.
They could be an individual, group or organisation:
- whose service to the community is worthy of special recognition
- that deserves recognition for their supreme effort, strength, bravery or achievement
- that has achieved something, which benefits the neighbourhood or even the whole of our borough
It doesn’t matter how small or big, we would love to hear from you.
Nominations close on 6 January 2025.
