Bradford Council has welcomed a new chair, a vice chair and a new member to the board of the Shipley Towns Fund.
Shipley was awarded £25m via the Government’s Towns Fund to support regeneration in 2021. The board was set up to deliver the work of the towns fund, such as delivering the Shipley Sustainable Hub and the ongoing regeneration of Market Square, and is made up of representatives from local businesses as well as charitable and voluntary organisations, with support from Bradford Council.
Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Transport and Planning, said: “We are delighted to welcome these new members to the board, with their range of skills and vast experience. We are already fortunate that our board constitutes people with a breadth of experience from many backgrounds, and we know our new members will strengthen it further.
“The Shipley Towns Fund is successfully delivering projects in the area which will positively impact the way local people live for generations to come and it’s great to have new momentum to continue to this excellent work.”
Newly-elected chair Gill Thornton has lived in Shipley for 40 years where she has been actively involved in local life through school governing bodies, local voluntary organisations and NHS bodies.
Currently the director of £50 million programme Better Start Bradford, Gill has worked in the voluntary and community sector for more than 35 years with a focus on community empowerment, access to resources and innovation.
Gill said: “I was an elected member on Bradford Council for 20 years with a range of responsibilities. The experience has given me a valuable insight into the challenges of urban regeneration and improvement and the importance of involving local people. I am committed to ensuring the work of Shipley Towns Fund will continue to build real change and visible improvements for local people.”
Alongside Gill’s election, Si Cunningham has been elected Vice Chair. Si previously served as a District Councillor in Bradford and was Assistant Executive Member for Culture and Sustainability. He was also Communications and Bid Development Manager for Bradford’s successful UK City of Culture 2025.
Si is the current Chairperson of Bradford Civic Society, a charity established in 1942 to promote civic pride and better placemaking in Bradford. He also currently Chairs the city’s Heritage Action Zone, a Historic England initiative administered by Bradford Council.
New member Adam Beddall was also elected to the board. A local resident, Adam currently works as a Project Manager for locally-headquartered firm, Turner & Townsend. He specialises in managing construction projects, primarily within the public sector. His work focuses on supporting local authorities within West Yorkshire on active travel, town centre regeneration and infrastructure improvement projects.
