Agenda item

To announce the election of the Mayor of the Borough for the Municipal Year 2026/27.

Mr Welsby announced that, at the Annual Meeting of the Council held on 28^th May 2026, Councillor Noordad Aziz had been elected Mayor of the Borough for the Municipal Year 2026/27.

The Mayor read aloud the Declaration of Acceptance of Office of Mayor, as signed at the Annual Council meeting, and was presented with the Mayoral Fob by Mr Josh Allen, the retiring Mayor from 2025/26.  Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP, Leader of the Council, announced his congratulations to the new Mayor and gave a speech welcoming the Mayor’s family, particularly his mother and father who were both present.  Councillor Dad remarked that he had grown up alongside the Mayor’s father.  He noted that Councillor Aziz had a large presence and had served the community in Great Harwood passionately for some 14 years.  He would make an excellent Mayor and would proudly follow in the footsteps of the outgoing Mayor, Josh Allen.

Councillor Zak Khan also spoke on behalf of the Conservative group to congratulate the Mayor on his appointment and noted the strength of his conviction when speaking in the Council Chamber.  The role of Chair of the Council needed both patience and, occasionally, disciplinarian’s approach, and Councillor Aziz was sure to rise to the challenge.  He would also make a solid connection to the public during his future engagements.  The role of Mayor was a symbol of unity, a goal that all councillors should share.  The support of Councillor Aziz’s family would also be important during his mayoral year and their role was acknowledged and appreciated.

Councillor Anthony Mitchell expressed his sincere congratulations on the Mayor’s appointment and acknowledged the importance of the role.  The civic office belonged to the whole Borough and he looked forward to working with the new Mayor.  He noted that councillors might have different political ideologies, but that it should be possible to find some common ground.  The Council was fortunate to have a strong Chair at its helm.

The new Mayor, Councillor Aziz, thanked the speakers for their and kind words and thanked all councillors, freemen, aldermen, and accompanying friends and family for their attendance.  He started with an Islamic prayer from the Prophet Moses which translated as:

My Lord, expand for me my breast with assurance  And ease for me my task  And untie the knot from my tongue  That they may understand my speech.

(Surah Ta-Ha Ayat 25-28 of the Quran)

The Mayor congratulated the newly appointed aldermen and freemen on their awards.

He then gave a speech which included details of his journey from a pupil at Great Harwood Primary School and Norden High School, to the first citizen of Hyndburn, which was beyond his expectations.  His first job and continual hard work had taught him responsibility and the value of community.

He was disappointed to note that some people on social media had expressed disapproval at his appointment.  However, he was firmly of the view that there were more things that united society rather than divided it - particularly kindness and hope.  He was pleased that Hyndburn was full of decent hard-working people who cared, did voluntary work and who raised money for good causes.

The Mayor was proud of his immigrant heritage, but also of his long-established home of Great Harwood and the wider Borough of Hyndburn.  His father had served the community tirelessly in both the textile industry and as a hackney cab driver.  The Mayor’s wife and family were also invested in the local community through education and other work.  He praised his mother as simple, unassuming and kind.  They had all helped to shape him, leading to his involvement in unions, maximising educational opportunities and becoming a chartered accountant with a housing developer.  He also paid tribute to a number of deceased friends and to Rawden Kerr (Great Harwood Town Crier) who had provided advice, encouragement and inspiration along the way.

The Mayor expressed his deep affection for Great Harwood and his friends and neighbours there.  He also thanked his daughters for their on-going support.  Some of the defining moments in his life had included access to the young Muslims leadership programme and a poignant visit to Srebrenica on the 31^st anniversary of the genocide.  This was stark reminder of what hatred could lead to and why people should stand together and respect each other.

For his mayoral year, he hoped to champion community values and also to support the following charities:

• Derian House Children’s Hospice;
• Milly’s Smiles;
• Laurie Solomon Kidney Dialysis Centre; and
• East Lancashire Hospice.

He also reminded councillors of his young family and aging parents and explained that he had sought the support of four Consorts to assist him and his Mayoresses through the year.  These were Councillors Judith Addison, Jodi Clements and Clare Yates, as well as former councillor, Kimberley Whitehead.

Finally, the Mayor indicated that he intended to introduce a Purple Heart Award for community champions and local heroes in the Borough.

The Mayor then expressed his gratitude to his wife Saddia and his mother Hamida for accepting the roles of Mayoresses, following which he presented each of them with a bouquet of flowers.