14 May 2008: New Chair of Lewes District Council will focus on Citizenship

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Councillor Carla Butler took over as Chair of Lewes District Council at the Annual Council Meeting held today 14 May 2008.  The new Vice Chair is Councillor David Gray.

Carla has just completed a Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of Sussex and will be combining a Masters in professional legal practice with a part-time legal practice course at Guildford College of Law from September 2008.  She works part time for EDF Energy to support herself through her degree.

She has been a Newhaven Town Councillor since 2002 and was elected to the District Council in May 2007.  During her time on both Councils, Carla has focused particularly on equality issues having served on the Access in Newhaven and Seaford Group, and Eastbourne and Lewes Victim and Witness Support.  She is currently a member of the District Council’s Traveller Working Group.

Carla’s theme for her year of office is Citizenship, she said “I am very keen during the coming year to involve individuals, groups and communities and enable them to celebrate shared values. I want to encourage them to work together to enhance the community in which they live.  I also want to support young people living in the District who, I think, often get a bad press”.  

An ardent campaigner for her local community Carla secured funding for a local Victim and Witness Support Volunteer and re-landscaping and fencing for Gibbon Road Newhaven in 2006.

Born in South Western Australia Carla moved to Newhaven in 1991 where she was educated locally.   A campaigner from a young age, her efforts for charity started at aged 8 when she walked from Rustington to Worthing and back for ‘feed the minds’. 

She saved the local theatre group Meeching Amateur Dramatics (MAD) from closure by taking over chairmanship and producing an award winning pantomime ‘Hercules the panto!’ in January 2007.  

Carla aged 26 is the youngest person to be appointed as Chair of Lewes District Council.  

At the Annual Council Meeting the decision was taken that Councillor James MacCleary be Lead Councillor for Community, he replaces Cllr David Gray, who is the new Vice Chair of the Council. It was also agreed that Cllr Chris Bowers be Lead Councillor for Environment for the period from 14 May until 18 July 2008.

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Media enquiries: Liz Lacon, Communications Manager liz.lacon@lewes.gov.uk