Mayor and cabinet

The Mayor

Lewisham has a directly elected Mayor. Brenda Dacres was elected following a byelection on 7 March 2024.

The Mayor appoints a Cabinet to lead on decision making across the Council. She will confirm her Cabinet at the Council’s AGM.

Brenda has been a councillor since 2014, representing wards in New Cross and Deptford. She has been Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Housing Development and Planning since 2021. She has also held the Environment and Transport Safer Communities briefs.

Brenda has lived in Lewisham for over 40 years. Her parents came to England from Jamaica in the 1960s as part of the Windrush generation, her dad working as a mechanic and black cab driver, and her mum as an NHS nurse.

Brenda received a grant from Lewisham Council and became the first in her family to go to university at London South Bank. She completed a degree in Physical Sciences with Computing before taking a Law degree at the University of Wolverhampton. She was called to the Bar in 2006 by Middle Temple.

To get in touch with Brenda email brenda.dacres@lewisham.gov.uk.

Brenda Dacres, Mayor of Lewisham

• overall budget, strategy and policy responsibility
• trade unions
• service transformation
• Bakerloo line extension
• inward investment
• London Councils, Local Government Association and key stakeholder relationships
• Lewisham Strategic Partnership (LSP)
• communications
• Young Mayor's programme

Deputy Mayor Councillor Louise Krupski

• civic events
• Mayor's charity
• armed forces covenant

As Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and Climate Action

• environment and climate change
• air quality
• transport, including walking and cycling
• highways
• parking strategy and enforcement
• recycling and waste reduction
• street cleaning and fly tipping
• renewable energy, including district heat networks
• street trees
• parks, green spaces and trees

Councillor Amanda de Ryk, Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Performance

• council budget
• cost of living
• digital transformation
• internal audit
• revenue collection and benefits
• pensions
• ethical procurement and contracting
• IT and digital services
• income maximisation
• council financial stability
• emergency planning and resilience
• customer services and complaints
• information governance
• corporate governance
• legal services
• democratic and electoral services
• human resources and organisational development

Councillor James-J Walsh, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Regeneration and Planning

• social housing building programme
• planning
• regeneration
• planning enforcement
• strategic assets

Councillor Will Cooper, Cabinet Member for Better Homes, Neighbourhoods and Homelessness

• housing need, including lettings and allocations policy
• repairs
• homelessness and temporary accommodation
• landlord licensing
• private rented sector regulation
• relationship with housing providers including housing associations
• Gypsies and Travellers

Councillor Chris Barnham, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People

• primary and secondary school performance
• school admissions, attendance, inclusion and school place planning
• special educational needs
• early years education and childcare
• early help and prevention, including children's centres, family hubs and family support
• child protection and safeguarding
• corporate parenting for looked after children and care leavers
• youth services
• child poverty
• support for children in need
• youth violence
• youth justice (including Youth Offending Service)

Councillor Paul Bell, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care

• adult social care, including care home and at-home provision and quality assurance
• primary care
• mental health
• Health & Wellbeing Board
• health and social care integration
• adult safeguarding
• joint commissioning
• supporting people
• health services for LGBT+ residents
• older people, including representation, active citizenship, combating isolation, housing, technology, aids and adaptions
• public health
• Birmingham & Lewisham Africa and Caribbean Health Inequalities Review (BLACHIR)

Councillor Kim Powell, Cabinet Member for Businesses, Jobs and Skills

• local economic development and inclusive growth
• evening and night-time economy
• adult education including Adult Learning Lewisham
• youth employment
• Mayor's apprenticeship programme
• business and retail support
• markets
• social enterprise
• higher education
• further education
• trading standards
• environmental health and food safety
  
  

Councillor Edison Huynh, Cabinet Member for Culture and Communities

• arts and culture
• libraries
• sports and leisure
• community development
• community centres
• grants programmes
• local assemblies
• community wealth building
• Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (NCIL) grants

Councillor Sakina Sheikh, Cabinet Member for Safer Lewisham, Refugees and Equalities (Maternity cover for Cllr Oana Olaru-Holmes)

• refugee resettlement and migrant support 
• sanctuary borough programme
• equalities
• bereavement services
• partnership with police
• anti-social behaviour
• violence against women and girls
• CCTV
• regulatory services
• modern day slavery