Tameside's new Civic Mayor

Councillor Shibley Alam has been announced as the 50th civic mayor of Tameside.

Cllr Shibley Alam will take office at the council’s annual meeting today (Tuesday 20 May).

She is not only the first woman born in Bangladesh to be a mayor of Tameside, but of any authority in the north of England.

Currently serving as the borough’s deputy mayor, Cllr Alam came to the UK when she was eight and later moved to Tameside, making it her home. She is married to Mr Mohammed Khairul Alam who will be her consort.

Cllr Alam was elected to Tameside Council in 2019 and represents Hyde Werneth ward. She is deputy chair of the health and adult social care scrutiny panel and a member of speakers panel (licensing) and the south strategic neighbourhood forum.

In addition, she is a trustee of Hyde War Memorial and Hyde Millennium Park, Croft Street.

Beyond her public duties, the civic mayor-elect has a range of interests including cooking, spending time with family and friends, and generally helping people.

She said: “I am proud and deeply honoured to be asked to serve as civic mayor of Tameside for the coming year.

“I would like to pay tribute to my friend and colleague, Cllr Betty Affleck, for the fantastic job she has done and I will do my very best to live up to the high standards she has set.

“Although I know the coming year will be very busy, I’m really looking forward to it and expect it to be very rewarding. I want to meet as many people as possible across our wonderful borough – from schools and volunteers to community groups.”

Cllr Alam’s chosen charities are Willow Wood Hospice, which provides specialist palliative and end-of-life care; the Dukinfield branch of the Women’s Trust Fund, raising money for the Christie Hospital, and Hyde Bangladesh Welfare Association which promotes community cohesion and represents the needs of the entire Hyde community in accessing local services.

Her chaplain will be Mr Mohammed Abdul Hamid.

The new Deputy Mayor of Tameside is Cllr Helen Bowden who represents Hyde Newton ward. She will be supported by her husband Leslie as deputy mayor’s consort.