Mayor to appoint new champion to address social, economic and health inequalities

30 May 2022

The Finance, Resources and Corporate Committee will discuss remit of the new Inclusivity Champion 

The Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, will appoint an Inclusivity Champion to address inequalities across a range of health and economic issues. 

Creating the role of an Inclusivity Champion was one of the Mayor’s ten pledges to the people of West Yorkshire when she was elected in May 2021. 

A report prepared ahead of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Finance, Resources and Corporate Committee sets out how the appointment will be crucial to ensuring all communities benefit from the economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. 

They will contribute towards narrowing the gaps on a diverse range of issues such as life expectancy, employment and mental health wellbeing. 

Tracy Brabin, The Mayor of West Yorkshire, said:

“It is a scandal that life expectancy in parts of our region is lower than the national average and that we also have a higher proportion of people suffering with mental health problems. 

“As Mayor, I am determined to address years of underinvestment in our communities and make sure that we make tangible progress towards narrowing those ingrained inequalities. 

“The Inclusivity Champion will be responsible for ensuring that as we recover from the impact of the recent pandemic, we do so in a fair and just way which benefits all parts of our diverse and wonderful region.”