Image: Pre social distancing photo earlier this year: Ian Mackie (Thorpe St Andrew, 15 years), Karen Vincent (Old Catton, 3 years), John Ward (Sprowston, 11 years), Shelagh Gurney (Hellesdon, 19 years) and John Fisher (Woodside, 3 years)

Happy Polling Day - 50 Years of County Service 

Your five Federation Norfolk County Councillors have today reached 51 years of combined service to our residents and Norfolk - Happy Polling Day Anniversary! It's fifty years worth of serving residents; of listening to their concerns; of resolving their issues on your behalf; of being a powerful advocate for you on the Council; fighting for more funding for the community and lobbying to improve the lives of those across the division.

We approached the five Councillors, asking them what they're most proud of during their time on Norfolk County Council, here's what they each had to say:

• Ian is proud to be a strong voice for his community and always goes the extra mile to help residents with their issues. He has held senior Council positions including Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance as well as being a Norse Director, he is currently Vice Chairman is the Conservative Group and Chairman of the Audit Committee. Ian’s significant local projects and achievements include the funding and building of two new primary schools within his division, one being the first additional Norfolk primary since 1978. He is also a local School Governor. As Vice Chairman of the Better Broadband for Norfolk Steering Group, he secured over £30m of funding in the rollout of superfast broadband across Norfolk. Ian champions local farming and employment opportunities for Norfolk’s young people, this includes the Norse Apprenticeship Programme that secured over 100 permanent jobs for school leavers. 
• John has served as a Councillor at various tiers of local government for 16 years, having first been elected onto Thorpe St. Andrew Town Council in 2004 and then Broadland District Council in 2007. John currently serves on four Councils, and uses this to his advantage by amalgamating his experience to the benefit of residents. Reflecting on his experiences, John diligently served as Mayor for Thorpe St Andrew for 5 years, and presently leads as Mayor of Sprowston. John is most proud of his work in redeveloping the Diamond Centre in Sprowston, converting it from a disused school into a magnificent community hub for local people. John fought for and oversaw the redevelopment of this facility which now works to provide a sporting, commercial and childcare facility for families and businesses in the area. During his time as a County Councillor, John has also been closely involved with the Museum Service and is currently Chairman of the Joint Museums Committee, responsible for overseeing and improving the ten museums across Norfolk. 

During this difficult time, our Councillors are working harder than ever to keep the community safe. If you're in need of support then please do reach out. You can contact your Councillors directly via their pages below. They're here, for you, now and always.