Kate Nicholl

Kate Nicholl (born 1988 in Marondera, Zimbabwe[1]) is the current Lord Mayor of Belfast, Northern Ireland.
She is a member of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, and the first Lord Mayor in recent history not to be
born in the United Kingdom or Ireland.[2]

Biography
Nicholl was born and grew up in Zimbabwe. Her father comes from County Down and her mother comes
from South Africa, whose family was involved in anti-Apartheid politics.[3][4] They left Zimbabwe in 2000
when Kate was 12 after violence broke out, moving to Belfast.[4] She studied at Methodist College Belfast,[3]
and worked as an advisor to the Alliance Party's Anna Lo. Before becoming Lord Mayor, she served as
councillor in the Balmoral area of South Belfast. Initially co-opted onto the council, she was subsequently
elected outright in 2019.[2]

She was sworn in as Lord Mayor on 1 June 2021, succeeding the Democratic Unionist Party's Frank
McCoubrey.[4] One of her first policies on becoming Lord Mayor was focusing on the health and well-being
of children, and wanted to bring the views of young people into meetings.[5] She has set a "monthly mayor's
environmental challenge", working with organisations that improve the environment across Belfast. Nicholl
intends to run as a candidate for Belfast South in the next assembly election.[2]

Nicholl believes being a non-native of Northern Ireland is a positive, as it gives her an outsider view on
events.[4] In interviews, she has acknowledged the differences and conflict in Belfast, but hoped she would be
able to unite people, saying "how the city – all of it – is ours".[3]

Personal life
Nicholl is married and has one son.[2]

References
1. "I have chosen Belfast as my home" (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-northern-ireland-57071
311). BBC News. 11 May 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
2. Hughes, Brendan (June 1, 2021). "New Belfast Lord Mayor Kate Nicholl's priorities for her
year" (https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/who-alliance-councillor-kate-nicholl-20721389).
BelfastLive.
3. "New Belfast mayor Kate Nicholl pledges to build 'inclusive community relationships' " (https://
www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2021/05/12/news/new-belfast-mayor-kate-nich
oll-pledges-to-build-inclusive-community-relationships--2318453/). Irish News. 12 May 2021.
Retrieved 3 June 2021.
4. "Alliance's Kate Nicholl installed as Belfast lord mayor" (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-norther
n-ireland-57310311). BBC News. 2 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
5. "New lord mayor of Belfast to focus on wellbeing of young people" (https://www.irishnews.com/
news/northernirelandnews/2021/06/02/news/new-lord-mayor-to-focus-on-wellbeing-of-young-p
eople-2341745/). Irish News. 2 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.

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This page was last edited on 9 June 2021, at 03:40 (UTC).

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