Source: City of Norwich
A new Lord Mayor and Sheriff of Norwich have officially taken up their ceremonial roles following yesterday’s (Tuesday 20 May) full council meeting at City Hall.
Councillor Paul Kendrick has been appointed Lord Mayor of Norwich for the coming civic year, taking over from Councillor Vivien Thomas. Stuart Wright has been named the new Sheriff of Norwich, succeeding Sirajul Islam.
The positions of Lord Mayor and Sheriff are historic and ceremonial roles, representing the city at civic and public events, supporting local charities, and acting as ambassadors for city.
Lord Mayor of Norwich – Councillor Paul Kendrick
Councillor Paul Kendrick has served as a councillor on Norwich City Council since 2011, representing the Catton Grove ward. For the past nine years, he has held the position of cabinet member for finance, playing a key role in maintaining the council’s sound financial position.
Under his stewardship, Norwich City Council has remained one of the few local authorities in the country to retain a 100% Council Tax reduction scheme for its lowest-income residents and has continued its commitment to being a Living Wage employer.
Before moving to Norwich, Cllr Kendrick was active in local government across the south-east, serving on Hastings Borough Council, East Sussex County Council, and Kent County Council. During his time as chairman of Kent’s Highways Committee, he oversaw a major infrastructure programme linked to the Channel ports – managing the largest highways capital budget in the county at the time.
Cllr Kendrick is 66 years old and has three children – James, Joanne and Daniel. His daughter Joanne will serve as Lady Mayoress during his term of office.
Sheriff of Norwich – Stuart Wright
Stuart Wright has a long-standing connection with the city and brings a wealth of experience from both public service and the private sector.
He began his career as an officer in the Royal Engineers, where he trained as a military and civil engineer. After 20 years in the Army, he moved into the corporate world, holding senior leadership roles at PA Consulting and Aviva. At Aviva, his focus was on the planning, design and delivery of shared services across the UK and Europe.
Stuart later led Aviva’s global net zero strategy, overseeing carbon reduction efforts across all operations, subsidiaries and joint ventures. His commitment to sustainability and social responsibility has also seen him champion the real Living Wage – chairing the UK Living Wage Foundation Advisory Council from 2016 to 2021 and currently serving as a trustee of Citizens UK.
Stuart lives near Hingham and enjoys gardening, restoring a vintage tractor, and spending time with his three grown-up children and granddaughter, all of whom live locally.
This year, the Lord Mayor’s civic charity is Norfolk & Waveney Mind, a local mental health charity that provides vital support, advice and services to help people experiencing mental health difficulties across the region.
You can find out more about the roles of the Lord Mayor and the Sheriff of Norwich by visiting https://bit.ly/NorwichMayorAndSheriff