READING Borough Council has named the councillor who will succeed Cllr Glenn Dennis as the Mayor of Reading.
Cllr Alice Mpofu-Coles has been elected to the post, following four years as a local councillor for Whitley Ward.
She chaired the Adult Social Care, Children’s Services and Education Committee for three years leading up to 2024, and now sits on the Parenting Panel, Health and Wellbeing Board, Safer Reading Neighbourhood Forum and Personnel Committee.
She was also among the committee members of the Housing, Neighbourhood and Leisure and Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) in 2021.
The appointment comes after more than 20 years of Cllr Mpofu-Coles living in Whitley, work in foreign services abroad, and having studied for a doctorate in Human geography.
Her previous work has also seen her working as a social worker in adult care and mental health care.
Her chosen charities for her mayorship will be Readifood and Reading Pantries, which work to alleviate poverty and support individuals who are poor, vulnerable, or homeless in Reading.
Cllr Paul Gittings has also been elected as the Deputy Mayor, following over 20 years as a councillor for Minster Ward and subsequently Coley Ward.
He has held a number of positions on the council, including lead councillor for the Environment and then Culture and Sport and chaired the Strategic Environment Planning and Transport Committee.
His most recent role was as lead councillor for Adult Social Care, while also representing the council on the Royal Berkshire Fire Authority after becoming its first-ever Labour chair in 2022.
His previous work has seen him undertaking roles as a TV producer and digital journalist at organisations such as Reuters and CNN, alongside roles delivering cycle training with Bikeability in local schools, trustee of Berkshire Outdoor Education Trust, and president of the Reading Cygnets Swimming Club.
