Councillor recognised as Woman of the Future
Posted on: Monday, November 20, 2023A Newark and Sherwood District Councillor has been awarded the Community Spirit prize at this year’s Women of the Future Awards. At the ceremony, held in London on 15 November, Councillor Emma Oldham was praised for her commitment to championing the environment throughout her work as Portfolio Holder for Biodiversity and Environmental Services at the District Council and as Communications and Fundraising Manager at Connected Conservation Foundation.
The Women of the Future Awards were founded in 2006 by Pinky Lilani CBE DL to provide a platform for the pipeline of female talent in the UK. The Community Spirit category recognises the extraordinary and varied contributions of public servants, charity and volunteer workers who are passionate about making a positive difference.
Since being elected in May, Councillor Oldham has supported a herbicide-free trial to promote biodiversity in Southwell, played a part in the opening of the new Queen Elizabeth Memorial Garden, worked with partners to explore methods for addressing air pollution and ensured that Newark and Sherwood became the first Midlands council to declare a commitment to protecting our ocean by introducing the ‘Motion for the Ocean’.
Councillor Oldham said: “It’s such an honour to receive this award and be acknowledged as a peer by some truly inspirational women. I’ve always been passionate about protecting our environment, from starting out a young age surveying seal pups to studying Conservation Biology at University and now earning the amazing platform of Portfolio Holder, so for this to be recognised really means a lot.
“I have so many more plans and ambitions for making Newark and Sherwood more biodiverse and protecting our incredible environment for the community; this honour will help to keep expanding my outlook and give me confidence in pursuing these goals.”
To find out more about the Women of the Future programme, visit womenofthefuture.co.uk.