Ealing new mayor puts community unity at centre
Councillor Faduma Mohamed has begun her year as Mayor of Ealing after being formally inaugurated at the annual meeting of the full council on Tuesday 26 May.
Her appointment gives the borough a new civic figurehead and marks a local first: she is the first British Somali woman wearing a hijab to take on the mayoralty in Ealing.
The role will put Councillor Mohamed at civic and community events across the borough, from council ceremonies to visits with local organisations. She will also chair meetings of the full council during her term.
Faduma Mohamed takes on Ealing’s civic role
Councillor Mohamed represents Southall West and has served as a ward councillor since 2022. She was deputy mayor last year before taking over the mayoralty from Councillor Anthony Kelly.
The new mayor will be supported during the year by her father, Ahmed Mohamed. Councillor Ghulam Murtaza has been appointed deputy mayor.
Council leader Peter Mason described Councillor Mohamed as a dedicated councillor and representative for Southall, and said her appointment was a visible sign of Ealing’s breadth of communities.
For residents, the mayor’s office is not an executive political post in the way a council leader’s role is. It is a civic position, focused on representing the borough, chairing formal council meetings and supporting community life through events, visits and charitable work.
A Southall story behind the mayoralty
Councillor Mohamed’s route into public service is closely tied to Southall. According to the council, she came to the area at the age of 11 after fleeing the war in Somalia and spoke no English when she arrived.
She has credited local support, including teachers at Dormers Wells High School, with helping her through those early barriers. One English teacher, she said, gave up lunch breaks to support her learning.
That personal history is now part of the public meaning of her mayoral year. Councillor Mohamed said she felt “incredibly proud and honoured” to become the first British Somali woman wearing a hijab to hold the role in the borough.
She said she wanted to be an example for communities, especially girls and women who recognise something of themselves in her story. Her message was direct: representation matters.
Unity across churches, temples, mosques and streets
Councillor Mohamed has set out community cohesion as a central theme for her year in office. She said she wants to connect with residents “across every corner of Ealing” and highlight what brings people together.
Her examples were deliberately broad: attending an event at a church, visiting a temple or mosque, or speaking with someone experiencing homelessness. The thread running through those encounters, she said, is the importance of listening to people’s stories.
That focus fits a borough where Southall, Ealing, Acton, Greenford, Hanwell and Northolt each have distinct local identities. The mayor’s year will give Councillor Mohamed a platform to move between those neighbourhoods and keep civic attention on inclusion, young people, grassroots organisations and local Town Teams.
The council says she hopes to champion inclusion, community cohesion and opportunities for young people during her term.
Two charities chosen for mayoral fundraising
As part of the mayoral role, Councillor Mohamed will raise funds for two chosen charities: Hope for Southall Street Homeless and Stepping Stones Together UK.
Hope for Southall Street Homeless supports people experiencing homelessness through outreach, emergency help and a day centre. Stepping Stones Together UK works with individuals and families through community support, advice services and wellbeing initiatives.
The choice of charities links the ceremonial role to local pressures that many residents see at street level: homelessness, family need, access to advice and the work of smaller community groups that often operate close to vulnerable residents.
Councillor Mohamed said she wants her year to raise awareness, encourage community involvement and support organisations already working across Ealing.
Her mayoralty now moves from the council chamber into the borough’s calendar of civic visits, community events and fundraising work, with Councillor Ghulam Murtaza serving as deputy mayor.
Source: Ealing Council
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This article is based on Ealing Council's published account of the mayoral appointment and the named roles, dates and charities in that notice.
- Confirmed the inauguration date as Tuesday 26 May.
- Checked the mayor, deputy mayor and outgoing mayor names against the source text.
- Kept the geographic scope to Ealing and Southall because the story concerns a borough civi...
- Separated the ceremonial mayoral role from executive council leadership.
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- 2026-05-28 10:09
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