Rose ready for top civic job

The Boston Castle ward member will be installed as Mayor at the annual meeting of Rotherham Borough Council at Bailey House.

Elected onto the authority in 2004, Cllr. McNeely was born into a mining family in Brampton Bierlow and has lived there for most of her life. The eldest of seven children, she left Brampton Ellis School at the age of 16 to start work as a machinist in a local factory.

Married three years later, she then spent much of her early life raising her three children and working within the local community, which was and still is vitally important to her.

She said: "I was born in Brampton and so have always tried to support the local community in any way I can. My father was a miner at Cortonwood and Manvers and during the miner’s strike everyone pulled together. They still do and I think that it is one of the reasons I love the village and still live there very happily."

Cllr McNeely is involved in more than 20 council  committees and working groups iand is chairman of the Sustainable Communities Scrutiny Panel.

A governor of both Broom Valley and Canklow Woods schools and a director of Home Start (Rotherham), she also actively supports the development of young people.

"I am looking forward to my year in office," she said. "During my year as deputy mayor I have met so many wonderful people on engagements. It has reinforced my view that there are so many deserving people out there who are unsung heroes within their local communities and I am looking forward to meeting even more during the coming year.

"Many work tirelessly for local and very specific charities and my aim is to get recognition for the smaller charities who play a big role locally," she said. "Our lifestyle today is so busy unless a particular problem touches our hearts because of family reasons, we tend to miss what is going on around us, particularly the vital help and assistance that small charities give to so many people.

"Hopefully, during my year as Mayor I will be able to raise the profile and give a voice to these marvellous organisations who do so much to help those vulnerable individuals within our local communities."

The installation of the new Mayor will take place at 2 pm at the Bailey Suite, Bailey House, Rotherham, and will be followed on Saturday, May 22, by the annual Civic Parade and Service at the Rotherham Minster.

The parade will start at 10.45 am from Effingham Street and will reach the Minster for the 11 am service.

The parade will be led by the South Yorkshire Police Band and will include dignitaries from neighbouring authorities, such as Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley, Wakefield, as well as the Vice Lord Lieutenant of South Yorkshire, Giles Bloomer; the High Sheriff, Anthony Cooper; the Master Cutler, James Newman; and Major Bob Heron of the Yorkshire Regiment.