Meet Charnwood's new Mayor

The new Mayor of Charnwood has been sworn in for 2026-27 following the Council’s Annual Meeting on Monday, 11 May.

Cllr Colin Hamilton, borough councillor for Loughborough East, says that he is deeply honoured to become the first citizen of the borough.

Cllr Hamilton will be representing Charnwood at hundreds of events throughout the Mayoral year and will be supported by his sister-in-law Emma Lowe as Mayoress.

The Mayor said: “I am honoured to have the opportunity to serve as the 53^rd Mayor of Charnwood.

“Charnwood has been my home since 1993 and it is here that I met my wife Allison, who sadly passed away in 2024. Our two children have been born and raised here.

“I am looking forward to meeting many of our incredible and inspirational residents and organisations at the many events I will be attending in my Mayoral year.”

The Mayor’s chosen charities for the year ahead are Living Without Abuse (LWA), a Loughborough-based charity that offers information and advice to people experiencing domestic abuse and/or sexual violence, and Love4Life (Twenty Twenty), a charity committed to making a difference in the lives of young people across North Leicestershire, Leicester and Derby.

Cllr Hamilton was born in Scotland in the coastal town of Irvine in Ayrshire where he attended Irvine Royal Academy. He studied Chemistry at Edinburgh University before going on to Aston University in Birmingham where he obtained his PhD from the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry.

After a period in post-doctoral research at Aston University, he joined the Research and Development Department of British Gas in London.

In 1993 his job was relocated to Loughborough in what is now the Science and Enterprise Park of Loughborough University.

He was a school governor for 18 years before being elected as a borough councillor in 2017. He has served on various committees before becoming Deputy Leader in 2023 and Lead Member for both Housing and Planning. He stepped down from those roles to be Deputy Mayor of Charnwood for 2025-26.

Cllr Hamilton’s interests include travel, reading, theatre and visiting museums and art galleries.

The appointment of Cllr Hamilton sees the end of the Mayoral year for Cllr David Northage.

Cllr Northage said: “What an honour it has been to serve as Mayor of Charnwood for the past year.

“I’ve met some wonderful people and had some incredible experiences whilst representing the borough at events such as the Remembrance services in Loughborough and Shepshed, running through Loughborough with hundreds of people for the Rainbows Santa Run and many other events. There are too many highlights to mention.

“I would like to thank everyone who has raised money or donated to my chosen charities, Rainbows and The Carpenter’s Arms.

“I would like to wish Cllr Hamilton all the very best for his Mayoral year which I am certain he will enjoy.”

Cllr Geoff Lawrence has been appointed as Deputy Mayor.