The Mayor of Rotherham for 2023-24 is Councillor Robert Taylor
The Mayor of Rotherham, Councillor Robert Taylor is “absolutely honoured and humbled” to serve as your Mayor.
The Mayor has spent his entire adult life living in Rotherham, having been born and brought up in Sheffield.
It was on 7 March 1983, aged 18, that he began his recruit training course with South Yorkshire Fire Service at the then training centre on Fitzwilliam Road. On completing the training course, he was ‘stationed’ at Erskine Road and served there on White Watch until he returned to Fitzwilliam Road when the ‘new’ station opened.
During that time the Mayor, his wife Mayoress Tracy Taylor and son Callum moved to Swallownest before later moving just up the road to Aston where the Mayor and Mayoress still reside today.
The Mayor served all over South Yorkshire with the Fire and Rescue Service before retiring in 2014. Always having been interested in politics (including achieving a degree in politics with the Open University at the tender age of 40!) he began attending Aston Cum Aughton Parish Council and was co-opted on as a member.
In 2015 the Mayor was elected onto the Borough Council, representing Anston and Woodsetts before being elected to represent his home ward of Holderness in the ‘all-out’ elections of 2016.
The Mayor said: “It is a continual privilege to represent the area and the people where I live. “I feel absolutely honoured and humbled to be chosen to be the Mayor of Rotherham. It never crossed my mind, until a couple of years ago, that I would have ever been or indeed worthy of, such a position.
“I’m aware of the huge responsibilities of the role and of the great opportunities it offers for me to promote and represent the Borough across the many events I will attend over the year, which this year will include the great prestige of hosting Yorkshire Day.
“Being Mayor will also enable me to champion things close to my heart including health, fitness and wellbeing and support work with children and young people as the Borough works towards becoming the Children’s Capital of Culture in 2025.”
The Mayor of Rotherham's Chosen Charities 2023-24
The Mayor’s Charity will continue to support groups that continually strive to help the people and communities of our Borough. The Mayor has chosen the following charities to support in 2023/24:
The Common Lands of Rotherham Charity (Charity No 223050)
The Common Lands of Rotherham Charity are Rotherham’s oldest charity which the 12 Feoffees are the Trustees of. It has helped Rotherham and its citizens for almost 700 years and it feels appropriate and respectful, in the year we host Yorkshire Day, to support our oldest charity.
The Rotherham Hospital and Community Charity (Charity No 1054407)
The Rotherham Hospital Community Charity s something very important to the new Mayor and Mayoress. Both have had cancer operations and treatment at the hospital and owe their lives to the care they received. The Mayor and Mayoress consider it a privilege to be able to give a little back.
HOPE - South Yorkshire Fire - Road and Water Related Trauma Support for Families (Charity No 1165443)
HOPE - South Yorkshire Fire - Road and Water Related Trauma Support for Families provide free and unlimited support to people irrespective of age or background, who are bereaved or affected by traumatic events such as road traffic collisions (RTCs), fires, drowning or through the witnessing of a traumatic event.
Deputy Mayor of Rotherham
The Mayor will be supported in his role by the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Sheila Cowen.