Worthing Borough Council’s new mayor and leaders have been elected for this year.
Ibsha Choudhury (Lab, Castle) was elected unanimously as mayor by the full council at its first meeting of the civic year on Tuesday, May 21, with Helen Abrahams (Lab, Heene) elected as deputy mayor.
He will be taking over from Jon Roser (Lab, Selden) who was mayor for 2023/24, with Cllr Choudury sitting as his deputy.
Cllr Choudhury said on his forthcoming term as mayor: “I am committed to building bridges between our diverse communities, fostering understanding, empathy and co-operation. Furthermore, I am passionate about promoting the health and wellbeing of our residents through outdoor sports.
“To the wonderful residents of Worthing, you have welcomed me since I moved here in 2001, embracing me as one of your own. It is this sense of belonging that inspired me to see Worthing as not just a place to live, but as my true hometown.
Cllr Choudhury was born and raised in Bangladesh, meeting his wife Shuporna there before moving to Worthing where she was raised.
He works as a local taxi and school-transport driver, and is the equalities officer for the Worthing Town Football Club.
The charities the new mayor will support for his term will be the mental health charity West Sussex Mind, Palatine Primary School’s charity arm Friends of Palatine, and Andy’s Angels, which runs the Grief Play Café in Worthing,
Last year, Cllr Roser supported the Broadwater Support and Community Hub, adaptive cycling for cyclists with special needs, and Parkinson’s UK Worthing group in his term as mayor – raising about £7,200.
Beccy Cooper (Lab, Marine) was re-elected as leader of the council, with new deputy Sophie Cox (Lab, Castle) taking over from Carl Walker, who left the Labour party earlier this month.
Odul Bozkurt (Lab, Central) will take over the housing and citizen services portfolio, with Cllr Cox taking the council for the community, the neighbourhood model and young people, and Rosey Wharlow (Lab, Central) taking equalities, inclusion and community safety as the new cabinet members.
