Incoming Lord Mayor is 64th to be sworn in
COVENTRY’S new Lord Mayor has been sworn in – and he’s no stranger to the city.
Coventry born and bred, Councillor John Blundell will be taking over from Councillor Tony Skipper.
Cllr Blundell will be the ceremonial figure at the council and as Lord Mayor will attend and host events across the city through the year.
He will be the 64th Lord Mayor of Coventry.
Cllr Blundell was first elected as a councillor in 2002, and became Cabinet Member for Children and Education in 2004 after serving on various committees, and stayed in the role until 2010.
In 2014 he became the leader of Coventry’s Conservative group and stepped down in 2017 when he took on the role of Deputy Lord Mayor.
He has served as a director of the Belgrade Theatre and the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum and is currently a director of Finham Park multi academy trust and a school governor of Grange Farm Primary School.
Each time a new Lord Mayor is sworn in, they have a chosen charity to support through the year.
This year, Cllr Blundell has chosen two smaller charities to support, including one which is very close to his heart.
He said: “I have chosen to support two smaller local charities, one of them being a cause I relate to.
“The Haemochromatosis Society which helps people cope with blood disorders, something I suffer from and The Enterprise Club – a local charity that provides recreation and fellowship for all Coventry people with a disability.”
John has been married to Lindsey for more than 40 years and they have two sons and three grandchildren. After training as an accountant with Thornton Baker and Company (now Grant Thornton) he worked as a financial accountant with Matrix Machine Tools and then the family engineering business in Torrington Avenue.
John then set up his own Employment and Training Agency in Hales Street, and for the last 20 years he has been involved with providing accommodation to Coventry students.
To relax, John plays bridge and the very occasional game of golf. He has been a founder patron of Coventry Rugby Club for a number of years and was delighted when they recently gained promotion to the Championship.