Here are some of the people who will be representing you on the Cumberland Authority

Voters selected sixteen new councillors to represent areas of Allerdale on the new Cumberland Council last month in an historic local election.

A shadow authority has now formed, which is overseeing the planning and preparation for the new unitary council which will take over in April 2023.

Each week, The Times and Star will introduce four newly-elected councillors, who have opened up about their lives and shared their intentions for the council in the future.

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Dr Martin Harris

Cumberland Councillor (Labour)  for Dearham and Broughton

HONOURED: Dr Martin Harris

I am a retired local doctor; I have lived in Dearham for over 20 years, I have worked across West Cumbria in various medical roles. More recently I have been working as a contact tracer during the Covid Pandemic. I have also volunteered for the North Lakes Foodbank and am a member of the local credit union.

Since being elected I am honoured, and a little surprised, to find I have been appointed to council executive as portfolio holder for adults and public health. The council is a shadow council until 1st April next year, this means my role, together with my executive colleagues will initially be to help bring about the transition to a new council. This is a great challenge; it gives us the opportunity to build something new and better than what we had before. Balancing this and being a ‘ward’ councillor helping the residents in my division means I shall certainly be busy! I shall do my best to serve our community. The underlying principles must be, to provide services for all our residents, whatever their situation and background, as well as to emphasize public health and preserving the environment throughout everything we do.

Elaine Lynch

Cumberland Councillor (Labour) for Wigton

EDUCATION: Elaine Lynch

I am the new ward councillor for Wigton and have lived in the town for 40 years. I was born and brought up in Aspatria and attended The Nelson Thomlinson in Wigton. I was the first in my family to go to university back in the 1970s, studying History at Sheffield. I came back to Wigton to teach History and retired in 2014 as Head of Sixth Form having spent over 36 years in education. I am now a governor at 2 schools in Wigton and, as you can probably tell, education and the health and well-being of children and young people is a key priority for me. I hope that in my role on the Cumberland Council Executive as portfolio holder for Education, Skills and Training, I can work to achieve good outcomes for all our young people in Cumberland.

I have been a councillor in Wigton for over 25 years and very much involved in community activities in the town. My husband runs a joinery business in Wigton and I have one son who lives in Northamptonshire. I am passionate about football and am a season ticket holder at Carlisle United. On retiring, I was able to fulfil a lifelong dream of driving across the US on Route 66, a fantastic experience! My husband and I also enjoy the more relaxing pace of canal boating.

Jimmy Grisedale 

Cumberland Councillor (Labour) Seaton and Northside

PROUD: Jimmy Grisedale

My name is Jimmy Grisdale I’m the new Cumberland councillor for Seaton and Northside and very proud to be representing the people of West Cumbria on the new council.

I was born in Gt Clifton and at 17 I left to join the army I have served all over the world and got out in Colchester after ten years’ service I married a local lass Tracey and had three children all grown up now we moved back to Workington in 2004 and settled on Harrington Road I have worked for the same builder’s merchant for over 30 years.

 I started off as a Heavy goods driver and became Transport manager both in Colchester and Workington.

 I'm at present part time but due to retire in a few weeks so I can concentrate more time on the new council because it's a big task ahead of us it's not going to be easy joining four council into one Cumbria County Council children and adult care is just one of the mammoth tasks to sort out down to who empty the bins and fills the pot holes 12 years of conservative government cut backs have taken its toll on Cumbria as like over the whole of the country.

I plan to hold regular surgeries in both Seaton and Northside my aim is to serve the people of my ward that includes Barepot,Siddick,and Cameron I'm here to serve everyone with any problems.

Councillor Andrew Semple

Cumberland Councillor (Labour) for Cockermouth South

TRANSFORMATION: Andy Semple

Like most people I have lived my life never really knowing which council ward I am in. Cockermouth South has only existed for three elections. And over half the 4,500 people I represent do not live in Cockermouth, but in Brigham, Branthwaite, Greysouthen and Little Clifton.

The good news is that from next April everything’s much clearer. It will be easier for residents to access the services they need. Cumberland Councillors will make sure the right people are working together to deliver those services. I was a civil servant in Cumbria for 40 years and therefore used to mergers and restructuring. Transformation is a familiar concept to me, but since I left the service I never use that word, but now its back! Official words and lines on a map are important, but people don’t base their daily lives on them.

What matters is: accessible community focused services. Understood and valued by all. Looking after people, delivering for them. And above all, listening. I have four Parish Councils to get to know so I’ll start listening there. Once plans develop, I intend to be out in village halls and community centres and to have the best online presence possible.

It is my honour to be Mayor of Cockermouth, an Allerdale Councillor for Christchurch Cockermouth. I play guitar, like post rock and Mogwai and Cockermouth Golf Club. Me and Helen celebrate our Ruby Wedding in December, we might even get a card from our two sons, but they only live round the corner. Every day is a celebration.