November 2, 2016 4.30 pm This story is over 95 months old

North Kesteven council leader honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award

North Kesteven District Council leader Marion Brighton has been given an award for a lifetime of achievements in local government. A councillor for a 43 and a half years, Councillor Brighton was named on Tuesday, November 1, as winner of the Local Government Information Unit’s Lifetime Achievement Award for 2016. Although unable to attend the…

North Kesteven District Council leader Marion Brighton has been given an award for a lifetime of achievements in local government.

A councillor for a 43 and a half years, Councillor Brighton was named on Tuesday, November 1, as winner of the Local Government Information Unit’s Lifetime Achievement Award for 2016.

Although unable to attend the London Guildhall ceremony and accept the award herself, she said she was “very humbled and honoured to have been selected from among a field of outstanding and inspirational councillors”.

Councillor Marion Brighton

Councillor Marion Brighton OBE

Her service to North Kesteven District Council and the wellbeing of its residents extends back to April 1973.

Along the way she has won 12 elections, enjoyed 15 years of continuous leadership and been chairman of the council twice, spanning a total of three years.

Public service has been a constant in her life, even through recent illness and bereavement while in office as the council’s first woman chairman in the early 80s, she insisted her council work and the chance ‘to get things done’ carried her through.

LGiU Chief Executive Jonathan Carr-West told the 200-odd guests at the ceremony:

“With 43 years of service, Councillor Brighton has devoted half of her life to serving her local area.

“Judges commended her length of time as leader, noting that not only was it time well-served, but time served well, inspiring, influencing and continuing to pioneer new projects.”

Councillor Brighton said: “My husband thought it would be a nice little interest for me to be on the council, and how right he was.

“The more I have got into it, the more interesting it becomes, and that is still the case today.”