New Mayor Sandra Duffy to be ‘Mayor for All’ with focus on cost-of-living and homelessness

“It’s an honour and privilege to be elected as Mayor of Derry & Strabane. From day one, I will be a ‘Mayor for All’,” she vowed, at the Council Annual General Meeting (AGM).

The Ballyarnett Sinn Féin Councillor was officially elected last night to take over from outgoing DUP mayor Alderman Graham Warke.

Her constituency colleague, SDLP Councillor Angela Dobbins, takes over the deputy mayoralty from Christopher Jackson of Sinn Féin.

Colr. Duffy said: “I will work with others to deliver real change for ordinary workers and families across Derry and Strabane.”

She paid tribute to the outgoing mayor and said he had done a lot in the role in terms of community reconciliation.

“I think Graham has been an absolutely tremendous Mayor for the city and district.

“He has done everything that has been asked of him and more and the amount of praise that I hear for Graham from within my own streets and my own area and family has been unheard of with previous Mayors,” she told the ‘Journal’.

She said she wanted to ‘build on the work that Graham has done in terms of outreach and reconciliation’.

“It is something I’ll be reciprocating. I intend to continue in the vein of outreach and reconciliation and it’s my intention to be a ‘Mayor for All’.”

Colr. Duffy said she would use the role to place a special focus on the cost of living crisis and do all she can to help local communities and families.

“We do have the hardship fund that we are working on so I would like to see that up and running and out the door of the council and into people’s pockets.”

Another priority is tackling homelessness.

“I’ve been involved in working to address homelessness for the past 25 years with the Simon Community, the old Foyle Homeless, Homeless Period Ireland and First Housing Aid & Support Services which provide quite a number of hostels and outreach right across the city and district,” she said.

She told the ‘Journal’ she has a vision for a special fund to support people on their journey out of homelessness into stable tenancies.

“I would like to see a fund set up for people who are exiting homelessness and setting up home within the community. While the vehicle I’m using is First Housing, it doesn’t have to be people from First Housing who apply. It will be open to people living in the Simon Community, the Methodist Mission. Other homeless providers throughout the town will be able to access it. It will help people who are moving out and need to access a fill of oil, a top-up of gas, a top-up of electric. They might need a cooker or other items that will set them up and give them a good crack at not becoming homeless again.

“There are individuals who are homeless who suffer really poor mental health and have addiction issues and I think we have a responsibility to ensure they are well looked after within the council area.”

Beyond these priorities the new Mayor believes Derry and Strabane have a huge potential to grow and that she has become first citizen at a time when the region is on the cusp of transformational change.

“I think we are at a really exciting time in terms of getting funding in with the City Deal and the Inclusive Future Fund. The match-funding for that is nearly half a billion pounds. Those projects are moving along in the background in terms of the business cases and getting them up to a stage when they are then shovel ready.”

New Deputy Mayor, Colr. Dobbins, spoke of her commitment and advocacy in campaigning for public safety and environmental issues.

She said: “Throughout my time on council I believe I have built a reputation as a public representative who wants to work with and for everyone. I think we are at our strongest and at our very best when we come together to deliver for Derry and Strabane. That’s the spirit of partnership I want to bring to this role as I embark on my year as Deputy Mayor and I trust my council colleagues will work with me to ensure it’s a success.  I believe Derry City & Strabane District Council is blessed to have two strong women at its helm.”

Mayor Graham Warke and Derry hailed as model of power-sharing in the north