Brent Charlesworth

Born in Sheffield in 1942 to Ronald and Sarah Charlesworth, Brent grew up on the Shirecliffe estate in Sheffield. His father worked 45 years in the steelworks in Templeborough (Rotherham) until the steel industry was wiped out during the Thatcher years.

Educated at Nether Edge (which became) Abbeydale Boys’ Grammar School, he trained as a teacher in Birmingham and taught in that city in the 1960s. Later he studied for a BA at the University of Wales, subsequently becoming a part-time university tutor. He also studied at the University of Leicester for a higher degree.

He moved to Nottingham in 1971, becoming a Lecturer in Education at the former Trent Polytechnic (now Nottingham Trent University). He became Senior Lecturer in the Social Studies Department, working on the Clifton Campus from 1976 until taking early retirement some 25 years later.

In 1983 he was elected to Nottingham City Council as member for the Clifton West ward. After boundary changes abolished the Clifton West ward in 2003, when the City Council became a unitary authority, he was elected member for the newly created Clifton South ward. As a Nottingham City councillor, he held various positions of responsibility, latterly Vice-Chair of the Notts/Nottingham Fire and Rescue Service.

He served as the Lord Mayor of Nottingham in 2003/04, and was Sheriff of Nottingham for two years from 1991. Whilst serving the latter civic office, he travelled to the United States to present Hollywood actor Kevin Costner with an award recognising the achievements of the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, in which Costner played the lead role and, when he was Lord Mayor, opened the Ningbo campus of the University of Nottingham in China.

He stood down from Nottingham City Council in May 2007, moved to Lincoln, ostensibly to retire, but was subsequently voted in as councillor for Park Ward on Lincoln City Council.

When Labour recovered power in Lincoln in 2011, he was appointed Executive Portfolio Holder for Social Inclusion and Community Cohesion, a post he held until taking civic office on June 3rd 2014 as the 808th Mayor of Lincoln. He chose his Park Ward councillor colleague David Jackson as his Sheriff.

He has one son, Daniel, who graduated in Psychology from the University of Lincoln and currently lives in Lincoln.

Originally a Sheffield Wednesday supporter, he attends every Imps (Lincoln City FC) home match, moaning relentlessly at every opportunity, like the miserable old codger he is. ("When you've got friends and neighbours, all the world is a happier place.....")


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