Colin Ross is the 126th Lord Mayor of Sheffield.
Lord Mayor of Sheffield Councillor Colin Ross
Like many people I came to Sheffield as an undergraduate of the university and here I have remained ever since. Although not a Sheffielder by birth I am a Yorkshire man. I was born on the outskirts of Middlesbrough in a village called Marton which was also the birthplace of Captain Cook.
I do, however, have a Sheffield connection dating back to the nineteenth century. My maternal family, the Hilliards, were a cutlery and surgical instrument manufacturer with a factory on Meadow Street in Neepsend. They subsequently relocated to Scotland. I have donated a knife from the family canteen of cutlery to the Hawley collection at the Kelham Island Museum.
Susan, the Lady Mayoress, and I studied Geology and we met through social events in the department and married after I graduated but Susan was still a student at that time. We moved into Dore in 1979 as our second home and here, with a couple of changes of property, we remain 44 years later.
After graduation we both became teachers, Colin at Firth Park and then Thomas Rotherham College and Susan at Ecclesfield Secondary and then at King Ecgberts. We both took early retirement after 34 years in the profession.
Perhaps unusually for most I was able to teach Geology throughout my career as it tends not to be available in all schools and colleges. It was a pleasure to teach such an interesting subject and enthuse the students. I was also able to co-author a series of A-level textbooks that are still available on eBay!
I became involved in local politics in the 1980s as a deliverer of leaflets with no intention of going beyond that. However, after moving to teach in Rotherham I was eligible to stand as a candidate in Sheffield and was persuaded to put my name on the ballot paper. It was not part of the plan to get elected but in 1994 that is exactly what happened when I was elected as the first Liberal Democrat Councillor in Dore and Totley Ward!
It was rather a life changing moment but one I have not regretted since, as it is a great privilege to represent your community. There have been lots of rewarding moments and satisfaction at achievements but equally lots of frustration at not been able to get things done as quickly as I (and residents!) would like. The role of a Councillor is a mixture of working with community groups and casework helping people and committee work in the Town Hall.
Away from politics and teaching I am a keen sportsman. I managed to play competitive football into my 40s but now it is more as a spectator that I enjoy sport. That is apart from being frustrated on the golf course as a high handicapper!
My other hobby is fell walking. I have ticked off more than half the Munros but I now think I will be pushing it to complete them all. Most of my walking these days is around the local area with Ruby, our dog.
I am very pleased to have been made the 126th Lord Mayor of Sheffield at the culmination of my time as a Councillor. During our year as Deputy Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress we have attended many civic and community events all over the City. We have realised just what an important role this is and how the position of Lord Mayor is valued by the people we meet. We want to ensure that we uphold that tradition and represent the city as best we can.
In my year of office, I want to enhance the connections between our universities, education and local industry. We have some fantastic research facilities here in Sheffield at both universities and at the Advanced Manufacturing Park. I want to ensure that as far as possible what has been researched and developed in Sheffield is produced and manufactured in Sheffield. We need a skilled workforce to be able to do this and this is where the link to education comes in, as the schools and colleges need to value vocational career opportunities equally with academic routes and encourage apprenticeships and traineeships.
My main charity for the year is St Luke’s. I will be working with them to raise funds for a specific project through a series of events throughout the year.
Inviting the Lord Mayor to an event
Please contact the Lord Mayor’s Office if you would like to invite the Lord Mayor to an event. If you are sending an invite in the post or by email please include appropriate details such as the date, time, place and type of event.
The Lord Mayor has a full programme of civic engagements and it is not always possible to fit in events at short notice.
Lord Mayor’s Charity Fund
Charitable donations are given to the Lord Mayor from various individuals and organisations throughout the year. These are controlled by the Lord Mayor’s Office acknowledging donations, banking the money and keeping appropriate records.
Lord Mayor's Chains and Badges
You can find out everything there is to know about the:
- City Mace
- Lord Mayor's chain
- city;s coat of arms
- Lord Mayor's badges
Our page dedicated to this also outlines the history of the items.