In June 2016 Norma Harrington was elected as Mayor of Wetherby, having been co-opted on to Wetherby Town Council in 2012. Councillor Harrington has served on the Council’s finance & general purpose and Markets committees, chaired the Budgets committee and was part of the Neighbourhood Planning group. She currently chairs the Staffing Committee and is also a member of the CIL, Co-option, Staffing and Welcome to Wetherby Committees.
Born in Scotland, Councillor Harrington’s family moved around the country with her father’s work until settling in Thorp Arch where she attended Tadcaster Grammar school, taking employment with Barclays Bank in Wetherby after leaving full time education. She started a successful career in the prison service in 1988, progressing through the grades to become Governor of HMP Wealstun in 2008.
Norma is married with two daughters, a step-daughter and six grandchildren. She met her husband Tom whilst living and working in East Anglia and they moved to Wetherby in 2008 after she took up her post at Wealstun Prison. Her daughters live in North Yorkshire with their families and Norma counts her hobbies as music, reading, flower arranging, foreign travel, walking and spending time with her family.
Taking early retirement, has allowed Councillor Harrington to become involved with a number of community organisations in Wetherby. She is a trustee of WiSE (Wetherby in Support of the Elderly), was a founding member of the Wetherby and District Foodbank and an active member of Wetherby Methodist Church.
She was elected to Leeds City Council in May 2018 and represents Wetherby Ward there.