TWO of Swansea’s longest-serving councillors have become Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor at a special ceremony staged at Swansea’s Guildhall on May 16.
Cllr Cheryl Philpott succeeds Paxton Hood-Williams to become Lord Mayor for 2025/26 and her deputy will be Cllr Penny Matthews.
Cllr Philpott, who has been a ward member for Sketty since 2004, has taken up her post following an inauguration ceremony at the Council Chamber, The Guildhall.
As Lord Mayor Cllr Philpott will have an important civic and ceremonial role as the city’s official ambassador. She will also be involved in raising money for local good causes.
Cllr Philpott said: “It is a huge honour and privilege to be serving the communities of Swansea as their Lord Mayor in the coming year.”
“I am really looking forward to getting out and about among the people of this fantastic city, as well as representing Swansea to visitors and as an ambassador at a very exciting time.”
As part of their year in office Lord Mayors often choose charities to support through fundraising events. This year Cllr Philpott has chosen to support Swansea Bay Health Charities’ ‘Go the Extra Mile for Cancer’ appeal. It’s a local charity and is situated at the South West Wales Cancer Centre at Singleton Hospital.
Cllr Philpott was born in Leicester and moved to Swansea when she was 12. She puts her flexible and adaptable approach down to the moves and the experience of attending three secondary schools in three years; the third school being Gowerton Girls Grammar school.
Married to Steve and having 3 children they moved to Sketty in 1981 where the children attended Sketty Primary school and then the local secondary schools of Bishop Gore and Olchfa.
Although Steve’s job took him away to all parts of the UK and abroad, Cheryl took an active interest in the community of Sketty and has been a Chair of Governors at Sketty Primary school and Parkland Primary school, a governor at Olchfa Comprehensive school and is presently a governor at Bishop Gore Comprehensive school.
Cheryl was elected for Sketty Ward in the local elections of 2004 and has been proud to serve the residents of Sketty since then.
Cheryl and Steve both enjoy travelling, particularly to historic sites in the UK and abroad and share the same taste in reading crime novel books when they find the time.
