First black Gloucester City Councillor to receive Mayor's Medal
Carole Francis will receive the award for her outstanding contribution to the city
Gloucester City Council's first black councillor is set to receive the Mayor's Medal today in recognition of her significant and outstanding contribution to the city.
Grandmother of three, Carol Francis, will be presented with the award on Wednesday, October 14, by the Mayor of Gloucester, Councillor Kate Haigh.
The former councillor who was the first black woman to be elected to Gloucester City Council, developed an interest in voluntary work as a teenager when she set up the Unity Youth Club, where the young black youth of Gloucestershire could meet, develop and socialise.
She later became an LEA Governor of St. Paul’s school, parent governor of Beaufort Community School, a member of the County Council’s multicultural Advisory group, a Director of Barton, Tredworth and Eastgate Trust, and a representative on Gloucester’s Education Achievement Zone Forum.
She has also been Chairperson of the city council’s Race Equality Forum and Chairperson of the sub-committee on Gloucester Race Equality Council (Glosrec).
She has twice held the role of Chairperson of Gloucestershire County Council’s Black Workers Network and also of the Jamaican Club. In 1993, she was presented with the ‘Black Achievers Award’ for services to the community.
In 2000 she joined with friends to set up Gloucester FM community radio station, and in the same year made local history by being elected the first black female city councillor.
The following year she became the first Black Sheriff and Deputy Mayor of Gloucester City.
A serving magistrate, Carol also sat on a task force set up by Harriet Harman, the then deputy Prime Minster, to encourage more Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic women into public Service.
And she helped set up the BME Police and Community Trust (PACT) at the request of the community, which looks at relations between the community and the Police.
Councillor Kate Haigh, Mayor of Gloucester, said:
“It is with real pleasure that I am able to award the Mayor’s Medal to Carol. Her achievements and her service to the community have been outstanding.
"I am particularly pleased to do so in Black History Month as she has achieved many historic firsts for black people in this city including her time as Sheriff. Her dedication and hard work for the people of Gloucester are an example to us all.”