Manjula Sood Explained

Manjula Sood
Honorific-Suffix:MBE
Office:Lord Mayor of Leicester
Term Start:May 2008
Term End:May 2009
Predecessor:Gary Hunt
Successor:Roger Blackmore
Office1:Councillor on Leicester City Council
Term Start1:14 October 1996
Term End1:6 May 2019
Nationality:British
Spouse:Paul Sood (deceased)
Party:Labour
Website:

Manjula Paul Sood is a British Labour Party politician, community service participant and former educator. In 2008, Sood became the first Asian female Lord Mayor in the United Kingdom.

Early life

Sood immigrated to the United Kingdom in 1970. She became in 1973 the first female Asian primary school teacher in Leicester, England.[1] She taught there for almost twenty years before retiring because of ill health. During her time as a teacher, she introduced multiculturalism in the education sector.

Political career

Manjula Sood was first elected after the death of her councillor husband in 1996. Paul Sood was one of the first Asians in Britain to become a councillor; he was elected as a Leicestershire County Councillor in 1982 and served Leicester for almost 14 years before his death.[2] Manjula stood in the by-election for her husband's former seat and won.

In May 2008, Sood became Lord Mayor of Leicester, the first Asian female Lord Mayor in the United Kingdom, in over 800 years of the Lord Mayor title.[3]

Sood ceased to be a councillor for Belgrave in 2019 but was again elected in the 2023 Leicester City Council election for the Stoneygate ward.[4]

Current positions

Initiatives championed

Awards and achievements

In July 2008, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by Leicester University.[6]

Manjula was awarded an MBE in the 2009 Birthday Honours for services to the community in Leicester. Manjula is the Sport England Regional Champion for East Midlands.

Benchmarks

Community and other activities

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Saba . Salman . Counsel of elders . . 2007-03-07 . 2008-02-07 .
  2. News: Gosling. Paul. Obituary: Paul Sood. 13 May 2016. The Independent. 29 May 1996.
  3. News: Manjula Sood is Britain's first Asian woman Lord Mayor . . 15 May 2008 . 2008-07-26 .
  4. Web site: Councillor Manjula Sood . . 15 August 2024.
  5. News: UK Indians pray for Mumbai blasts victims . . 2006-07-14 . 2008-02-07 .
  6. News: Honorary degree for Indian-origin woman mayor in Leicester . . 2008-06-16 . 2008-07-26 .
  7. Web site: COUNCILLOR MANJULA SOOD - Woman of the Year Award 2006 . 2009-03-05 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090528174512/http://www.councillormanjulasood.com/page9.htm . 2009-05-28 .
  8. Web site: OIFC - Find Trusted Product Reviews Online. 23 March 2020.
  9. Web site: Britain's Leading South Asian Women (2004). 2004-04-08.
  10. News: Bollywood stars to be honoured with international awards . . 2006-12-23 . 2008-02-07 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070123050506/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/009200612031511.htm . January 23, 2007 .