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Jenny Harrison unveiled as new Mayor of Oldham

Councillor Jenny Harrison, the new Mayor of Oldham.

Councillor Jenny Harrison has been officially confirmed as the new Mayor of Oldham for the civic year 2021/22. 

She received the chains and robes of office at Wednesday's annual council meeting. 

In her first speech as Mayor, Councillor Harrison said she will do the best she can for the borough.

She said her themes for the year will be diversity and inclusion, while also paying tribute to all those who have worked hard and supported the borough's fight against coronavirus. 

Councillor Shaid Mushtaq and Councillor Zahid Chauhan OBE will be the new Mayor’s Consorts.

The Deputy Mayor is Councillor Elaine Garry, and her Consorts will be Councillor Peter Davis and Councillor Graham Shuttleworth.

The Mayor of Oldham is elected to office by fellow councillors and serves a one year term of office.

The role of the Mayor is to be an ambassador for Oldham and to represent the borough at a variety of events and functions.

She takes over the role from Councillor Ginny Alexander, who served an extended term of two years due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

At annual council, council leader elect Councillor Arooj Shah thanked retiring Mayor Councillor Alexander and her husband and consort Adrian for their two years in office. She says they were a shining light for the borough during dark times for all of us.

More about the new Mayor

Councillor Harrison was born to May and Thomas Smith at Crumpsall Hospital in 1947 and has one sister Patricia.

They all lived together in her grandma’s New Moston council house until 1953 when Jenny’s parents secured a flat on Langley estate.

Councillor Harrison attended Langley County Primary, where she passed the 11+ exam, before moving back to New Moston in 1959.

She attended North Manchester Grammar School for Girls, studying for her ‘O’ levels and then ‘A’ levels.

At the age of 16, she had her first taste of work as a Saturday Girl at C&A Modes in Manchester and in student vacations worked at Stotts of Oldham.

On the day she left school, she became engaged to her Chadderton-based boyfriend Raymond Harrison.

She qualified as a teacher in 1969 and married Ray in August that year. However, he sadly died a week after daughter Rebecca's first birthday.

First-born son Daniel was born 18 months before Rebecca.

Councillor Harrison later became very close to Ray’s brother Philip and in August 1976, they were married at Oldham Parish Church.

They lived on Chamber Road in Coppice and she worked in several Oldham primary schools.

Their son Michael was born in 1978 and in 1981, they moved to Moorside where youngest child Andrew was born. Councillor Harrison still lives in that house.

All four of her children are happily married and Jenny has six much-loved grandchildren.

In May 2011, she was elected as a councillor for Alexandra Ward - a seat she has held in two further elections.

She considers representing the people of her ward an honour and a privilege.

Councillor Harrison says she feels honoured to be Mayor of Oldham and is proud of the way its people have risen to the challenges of a pandemic that has changed all our lives.

She wants to attend as many events and functions and meet as many Oldham people as possible. The theme for Councillor Harrison’s Mayoral year will be Diversity and Inclusion, celebrating the richness and talent within our communities and championing the right of every individual to lead an inclusive life.

Her 2021/22 Mayoral charities will be AGE UK Oldham, Andy’s Man Club, the Terence O’Grady Social Club, UKEFF, the Oldham Street Angels, POINT, Maggie’s Oldham and Inspiring Futures Partnership CIC (Inspire Women Oldham).

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