MAYOR AND MAYORESS of Rotherham 2009-2010

THE MAYOR'S full and proper title is "The Worshipful the Mayor of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough" (Councillor Shaukat Ali).

The correct mode of address is Mr Mayor - or Madam Mayor.

The Mayoralty is the most exalted position in the gift of a local authority, and members elected are rightly proud of its traditions and jealous to preserve its privileges that have been acquired through the years.

The Mayor is recognised as being, in his or her own Borough, the official representative of the Crown, second only to the Lord Lieutenant of the County of South Yorkshire, David Moody of Barnsley.

 Invite the Mayor to your organisation's event

The Mayor and Mayoress of Rotherham 2009-2010 are Cllr Shaukat Ali and Wajida Naseem. 

Helping the disadvantaged in this modern world is the theme during their term of office.

Shaukat has seen many changes in Rotherham since he first arrived in the town in 1965. Many of these have been for the better but he fervently believes that those who are able to do so should help and support those, who despite the improvements of today, still find themselves extremely disadvantaged.

‘This helping the less-fortunate’ continues the same core belief held by his family in Azad-Kashmir, in the Mirpur district of Pakistan, and Shaukat has tried to do the same since he came to England.

Through his community work, his employment with the Rotherham Diversity Forum and as a Rotherham Borough councillor for the past 11 years, he has tried to help everyone who is less well off and in need of advice and assistance.

Aged 11 when he joined his father in Rotherham, he was only the second
Asian at the former Spurley Hey Secondary Modern School but endeared
himself to many by becoming a good local league football player and later launching several businesses across the district, including the first curry house in Rotherham.

He began work in the financial sector at the age of 17 for the United Bank of Pakistan, which saw him working around the country in Sheffield, Manchester, Rochdale and London. During the final 11 years of his 21-year banking career he worked for the investment bank Confederation Life in Europe and the United States.

During this time Shaukat also continued his education and gained a diploma in European Studies, an HND in banking and finance and an honours degree in Social and Political Studies.

In 1998 he joined the former Rotherham Racial Equality Council as the co-ordinator for MAARI - the borough’s Multi-Agency Approach to Racist Incidents. This later became part ofthe Rotherham Diversity Forum, where Shaukat continues to help on a voluntary basis.

Since being elected as a member for Rotherham Borough Council for the former Park Ward and now Rotherham East, Shaukat has played a large part in relation to matters with young people and community cohesion and the public at large.

He was the deputy cabinet member for Community Planning and Social Inclusion and a senior advisor for community cohesion and involvement. He is a member of the Children and Young People Services scrutiny panel, the authority’s Planning Board and is the senior cabinet advisor to Streetpride.

Shaukat is a great believer in partnership working in order to communicate and get across positive messages and towards that end he has become a highly visible member of his local community.

A governor at St.Ann’s Primary School, he is also a board member for both the Lanes Community Safety Association and the Eastwood Residents Association and is a member of the Clifton Park Regeneration Team. He is involved with many local festivities including the Fun Fest in Eldon Road, and keeps himself well abreast of other important local issues regarding policing, community involvement, immigration and integration.

Shaukat is a family man. He married Maqbool Begum in 1972 and the couple have three sons. Imran Raza works for Citibank in Barcelona; Kamran Raza is a civil engineer for Shell in Oman and Irfan Raza is in his final year at Leeds University. Maqbool is very much the home-maker and is the shy half of their 37 year marriage and so Shaukat’s niece,Wajida Naseem, will be the Mayoress.

Wajida was born in Rotherham, attending St. Ann’s Primary School and Clifton Comprehensive School, before graduating in Business and Management Studies at the Barnsley University Centre.

She still lives in Rotherham, is single and works for the Doncaster Magistrates' Court but is looking forward to accompanying her uncle on his engagements throughout the Mayoral year.

 The Mayor of Rotherham's Charities for 2009/10 (172kb)

For further information please contact Jill Shirt on:
Tel: 01709 822720
Fax 01709 822727
Email jill.shirt@rotherham.gov.uk