Norma Redfearn
{{Short description|Former Mayor of North Tyneside, England (2013–2025)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = Dame
| name = Norma Redfearn
{{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|DBE}}
| image = Official portrait of Norma Redfearn (cropped).jpg
| office = Mayor of North Tyneside
| term_start = 6 May 2013
| term_end = 5 May 2025
| predecessor = Linda Arkley
| successor = Karen Clark
| office1 = Mayor of the North of Tyne
| status1 = Interim
| term_start1 = 4 December 2018
| term_end1 = 2 May 2019
| predecessor1 = Office established
| successor1 = Jamie Driscoll
| office2 = Member of North Tyneside Council
for Riverside
| term_start2 = 10 June 2004
| term_end2 = 2 May 2013
| predecessor2 = John Lowther
| successor2 = Wendy Lott
| party = Labour
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1938|2}}
| birth_place = Wallsend, England
| alma_mater = Newcastle University (BPhil)
| signature = Norma Redfearn signature.svg
| caption = Official portrait, 2013
}}
Dame Norma Redfearn {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|DBE}} (born February 1938{{Cite web |title=Norma REDFEARN personal appointments - Find and update company information - GOV.UK |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/xw9jl40rMZoiQ09ySKo8EQAV_p0/appointments |access-date=2023-10-14 |website=find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk |language=en}}) is a British Labour Party politician who served as Mayor of North Tyneside from 2013 to 2025.
Early life and career
Redfearn was born in Wallsend. The daughter of a shipyard worker, she graduated with a BPhil from Newcastle University.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}
Redfearn had a 30-year career in primary and secondary education. After a variety of teaching jobs, she left Wharrier Street Juniors in June 1986, where she was deputy head, to head West Walker Primary School, east of Newcastle upon Tyne. She stayed there until July 2000. In June 1989 the school won an award from the Royal Institute of British Architects for its playground design, presented to Redfearn and a pupil by Charles III. then the Prince of Wales.{{Cite news |date=30 June 1989 |title=Play Project Swings Top Award |pages=20 |work=Newcastle Evening Chronicle |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000726/19890630/254/0020 |access-date=22 November 2022}} In 1997, she became the first headteacher to receive the prize for Public Management Leadership from the Office for Public Management.
North Tyneside Council
Redfearn was elected to North Tyneside Council as a councillor for Riverside ward in 2004{{cite web |last=North East Local Enterprise Partnership |title=Board Members - Elected Mayor Norma Redfearn |url=http://www.nelep.co.uk/board-members/ |accessdate=23 July 2013 |archive-date=31 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731064211/http://www.nelep.co.uk/board-members |url-status=dead }} where she served until her election as mayor. After the election of John Harrison as the Mayor of North Tyneside in 2005, Redfearn served as the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People on North Tyneside Council. She held the position until 2009 when Harrison lost his re-election campaign. During her time as Cabinet Member for Children and Young People she is credited with introducing breakfast clubs for children across the borough.
Following Harrison's defeat to Conservative Linda Arkley, Redfearn sought the nomination to become Labour's candidate for Mayor. In February 2012 she was formally selected as Labour's candidate for Mayor,{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/LabourNorth/status/170281746649202688|title=Labour members pick Norma Redfearn to be their candidate for Mayor of #NorthTyneside|last=North|first=Labour|date=2012-02-16|website=@LabourNorth|language=en|access-date=2019-08-30}} defeating former Mayor Cllr John Harrison, former Deputy Mayor and then Leader of North Tyneside Labour Group Cllr Jim Allan, Cllr Ian Grayson, and Cllr Lesley Spillard. Redfearn would go on to defeat the Conservative incumbent Linda Arkley.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-22371200|title=Labour candidate defeats Tory mayor|date=3 May 2013|access-date=22 August 2019|language=en-GB}}
File:Norma redfearn mayor north tyneside july2014.jpg
She was first elected as Mayor of North Tyneside on 2 May 2013, winning 55.35% of the votes cast on a turnout of 32.07%{{Cite web|url=http://www.northtyneside.gov.uk/browse-display.shtml?p_ID=544185&p_subjectCategory=688|title=North Tyneside Council|accessdate=30 December 2022|archive-date=3 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403102745/http://www.northtyneside.gov.uk/browse-display.shtml?p_ID=544185&p_subjectCategory=688|url-status=dead}} and re-elected again on 4 May 2017, defeating the Conservative candidate, Stewart Hay, with an increased majority.{{Cite web|url=http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/north-tyneside-election-you-need-12906109|title=North Tyneside mayoral results - a win for Labour|last=Sharma|first=Sonia|date=5 July 2017|website=nechronicle|access-date=22 August 2019}} She was re-elected for a third term on 6 May 2021.
In May 2018, Redfearn reshuffled her cabinet dismissing the former Mayor Harrison, among others, and bringing in new members including councillors Carl Johnson, Sarah Day, Steve Cox and Peter Earley.{{Cite web|last=Soden|first=Herbert|date=18 May 2019|title=The team responsible for making North Tyneside Council's big decisions|url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/north-tyneside-council-cabinet-members-16291117|access-date=21 August 2020|website=ChronicleLive}} She made no changes to her Cabinet in 2019 or 2020.{{Cite web|last=Council|first=North Tyneside|title=Cabinet|url=https://my.northtyneside.gov.uk/category/614/cabinet|access-date=21 August 2020|website=my.northtyneside.gov.uk|language=en-GB}}
In 2020, Redfearn publicly announced that she would be seeking a historic third term as Elected Mayor of North Tyneside. Redfearn stated that she counts the multi-million pound regeneration of Whitley Bay and The Spanish City as one of the things she has been proudest of during her second term in office.{{Cite web|last=Soden|first=Herbert|date=9 August 2020|title=Why Norma Redfearn is standing for a third term as North Tyneside Mayor|url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/norma-redfearn-standing-third-term-18736236|access-date=21 August 2020|website=ChronicleLive}} During Redfearn's second term, children's services in North Tyneside were rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted,{{Cite web|last=Soden|first=Herbert|date=17 April 2020|title=Children's services in North Tyneside rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted|url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/childrens-services-north-tyneside-rated-18106361|access-date=21 August 2020|website=ChronicleLive}} the Council declared a Climate Emergency,{{Cite web|last=Soden|first=Herbert|date=26 July 2019|title=Climate emergency declared - but Green Party warns more must be done|url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/north-tyneside-council-climate-emergency-16652385|access-date=21 August 2020|website=ChronicleLive}} and Forest Hall town centre receive major investment.{{Cite web|last=Sharma|first=Sonia|date=22 November 2018|title=This shopping area in Tyneside is getting a much-needed facelift|url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/forest-hall-shopping-area-set-15440875|access-date=21 August 2020|website=ChronicleLive}} As of 2017, Redfearn lives in North Shields.{{Cite news |last=Sharma |first=Sonia |date=18 April 2017 |title=North Tyneside election: All you need to know about the race for mayor |work=nechronicle |url=http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/north-tyneside-election-you-need-12906109 |access-date=18 April 2017}}
Already Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), Redfearn was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours for political and public service.{{London Gazette|issue=63918|supp=y|page=N9|date=31 December 2022}}
In May 2024 Redfearn announced she would not be seeking a forth term as Mayor, she subsequently left the office in May 2025.{{Cite web |date=2024-05-13 |title=North Tyneside mayor Dame Norma Redfearn to step down |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0433zv44jvo |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}
North of Tyne Combined Authority
Redfearn was an ardent supporter of regional devolution and was one of the leading voices behind the creation of the North of Tyne Combined Authority. As a result, she was appointed Interim Mayor of the North of Tyne until an election took place, a role she held simultaneously with her post as Elected Mayor of North Tyneside.{{Cite web|url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/rejected-north-tyne-interim-mayor-15516804|title=Anger over 'coronation' of North of Tyne interim mayor|last=Holland|first=Daniel|date=2018-12-06|website=nechronicle|access-date=2019-08-22}} Following the 2019 North of Tyne mayoral election, Redfearn was appointed Deputy Mayor of North of the Tyne and the Cabinet member for Housing and Land by new North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll.{{Cite web|url=https://www.northoftyne-ca.gov.uk/cabinet|title=Cabinet|website=North of Tyne|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-08-22}}
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Redfearn, Norma}}
Category:Alumni of Newcastle University
Category:Labour Party (UK) councillors
Category:Women mayors of places in England
Category:Mayors of the Metropolitan Borough of North Tyneside
Category:Labour Party (UK) mayors
Category:Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Politicians from Tyne and Wear