2002 COUNCILLOR MARGARET JULIE BODELL-STAGG
(NATIONAL FUNDING OFFICER FOR THE SALVATION ARMY'S ELDERLY PERSONS' HOMES)
(544)
The Lord Mayor was born at St. Thomas' Hospital, Lambeth, London on 18th February 1948. She was the fifth in a family of seven children. Educated, initially, at St Saviour's Primary School in Salamanka Street, Lambeth, she was later placed by the London County Council for health reasons, in a boarding school, Wareham Court near to Harsham in Sussex where her health improved.
Councillor Bodell-Stagg moved to Leicestershire in 1970 and, after living in Birstall for the first one and a half years, she resided in Leicester, mainly in the West End of the city, from 1972 onwards.
She held various positions which included working for the Inland Revenue, followed by a post in the voluntary sector where she worked for Action Homeless, who provided accommodation and support for homeless men, for three years. She then worked for a Christian Housing Association and went on to manage 'Bethany', a project for homeless women and children. In 1998, she was appointed National Funding Officer for the Salvation Army's Elderly Persons' Homes.
She married Paul Bodell, from South Derbyshire, on 1 May 1993 and had one son Dominic.
Initially, Councillor Bodell-Stagg was elected to Leicester City Council in 1986 as a Labour Party Councillor for Westcotes Ward. Having represented the ward for ten years, she was elected to serve as a Councillor for Castle Ward in 1996. She held many important positions including that of Deputy Leader of the Council for three years, she also served as Chair of the Commercial Services, Housing and Planning and Development Control Committees and took a leading role in the campaign to obtain Unitary Status for the City.
She always had a particular interest in Equality for all with her main areas of concern being elderly people and people with disabilities. In addition to representing the City Council on various bodies she chaired a Disability Working Party and was the Labour Group's Chief Whip from 1999 to 2002.
Her other interests included being a Trustee of Bradgate Park and a Director of the Haymarket Theatre, she was also a School Governor at Hazel Street Primary School. Recreation pursuits centered upon learning Spanish and weight training in the gymnasium.
On 18th May 2000, Councillor Bodell-Stagg was appointed High Bailiff of the city for the year 2000/2001. Uniquely, some twelve months later she was appointed Deputy Lord Mayor on 17th May 2001 for the year 2001/2002.
Whilst serving as High Bailiff, Councillor Bodell-Stagg and her Consort, Paul, presented a Badge of Office, to be worn by the High Bailiff's Consort, to the City Council.
Councillor Bodell-Stagg was elected to the office of Lord Mayor of the City on 16th May 2002.
She chose her husband Paul to be the Lord Mayor's Consort. Born in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, he spent his early years in South Derbyshire where his family had many local connections and sporting links, mainly in politics and boxing. Paul's first cousin Jack Bodell, the professional boxer, was the European Commonwealth and British Heavyweight Champion 1969-1971.
Paul Bodell was educated in various schools and colleges in Derbyshire and Leicestershire, latterly at De Montfort University where he gained higher degrees in Engineering, Business and Management. He worked as an Executive Consultant with global organisations. His interests included golf and the challenge of scuba diving.
Councillor Bodell-Stagg marked her first day of office by reviving the ancient tradition of the Town Waits. Since 1499, this group of official musicians had performed at civic ceremonies where they supported the Mayor and entertained the people of Leicester. The Town Waits, who had been disbanded in 1947, were reinstated at the Guildhall reception following the election of the Lord Mayor.
Councillor Bodell-Stagg had the distinction of meeting several members of the Royal family during her year of office. The Lord Mayor was privileged to welcome Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh to Leicester, on 1st August 2002, during the Queens tour of the East Midlands to mark the Golden Jubilee of her reign.
Her Majesty and his Royal Highness were received by the Lord Mayor in Gallowtree Gate where they were introduced to representatives from sporting clubs in the city and county following which the Queen, accompanied by the Lord Mayor, enjoyed a thirty minute walkabout in the centre of the city. Her Majesty later visited Guru Nanak Gurdwara, in Holy Bones, her first visit to a Sikh Temple in the United Kingdom. The Duke of Edinburgh visited Leicester Cathedral to open the new Cathedral Visitor Centre.
Her Majesty and His Royal Highness afterwards visited the National Space Centre where they were entertained to lunch by the Lord Mayor and the Chairman of Trustees, prior to leaving for Derby.
On 3rd September 2002, the Lord Mayor met their Royal Highnesses The Earl and Countess of Wessex when they visited the Richard Attenborough Centre for Disability and the Arts at the University of Leicester, followed by a visit to the Soar Valley Community College in Gleneagles Avenue and to the Jain Temple in Oxford Street.
The Lord Mayor was presented to His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent when he came to the University of Leicester on 1st October 2002, where he visited the Departments of Engineering and Genetics and opened a new academic centre for excellence, the Electrical and Electronic Power Engineering Research Laboratories.
On 24th January 2002, the Lord Mayor met His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, at the Walkers Stadium, when he came to make the presentations to a number of people who had achieved awards under the Princes' Trust.
The city's twinning links were maintained and strengthened with a three-day visit by the Lord Mayor to Krefeld in September 2002 and a twelve-day visit to Rajkot, Leicester's twin city in the state of Gujarat in India during January 2003. Councillor Bodell-Stagg who had sent a sum of money from her charitable appeal to assist the people of Rajkot, prior to her visit, was deeply impressed by the welcome and hospitality she received despite the poverty experienced by many of the people. She visited a Salvation Army Project and several voluntary projects which had been set up to help the community in Rajkot.
The following month a two-week civic visit was made to Leicester by the Mayor of Rajkot, Councillor Ashok Dangar and a delegation from Rajkot. The Lord Mayor welcomed the party which included the Municipal Engineer and the Civil Engineer who were particularly interested in looking at waste management, traffic management and water treatment together with other facilities provided by Leicester for its citizens.
Councillor Bodell-Stagg hosted civic receptions at the Town Hall for a party of Electro-Technical apprentices from Krefeld and a party of firemen from the same city. In addition, the Lord Mayor received three parties of students from Strasbourg.
In April 2003 a civic visit to Leicester was made by the Mayor of Kilkenny, Councillor Mrs Betty Manning and a delegation from the Irish town.
The Lord Mayor welcomed many other visitors to the Town Hall including the Mayor of Kampala City, John Ssebaana Kizito and Herr Heinz Wilhelm, the Economic Chancellor from the German Embassy. There were also visits by a party of Japanese City Councillors and members of the Beppa-Kitu Rotary Club from Japan, groups of students from Spain and Sweden, visitors from China and New Zealand and a party of officials from the Cuban Embassy who attended a Civic Reception given by the Lord Mayor at the Town Hall, on 15th May 2003.
The city's military connections were maintained with a visit by Councillor Bodell-Stagg to the 38th Signal Regiment (Volunteers), Royal Corps of Signals at Longmore Camp, Hampshire on 13th September 2002. The Lord Mayor hosted a Civic Dinner in honour of Major-General John Sutherell, the Colonel of the Royal Anglian Regiment on 21st January 2003.
On 27th November 2002, the Lord Mayor hosted a Civic Dinner in honour of Timothy Brooks, the retiring Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire and the Honourable Mrs Brooks. Subsequently, a Civic Dinner was given in honour of the newly appointed Lord Lieutenant, Lady Gretton, on 13th May 2003.
Civic Dinners were hosted by Councillor Bodell-Stagg in honour of Andrew Russell upon his retirement as Chief Fire Officer of the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service and David Wyko upon the occasion of his retirement as Chief Constable of the Leicestershire Constabulary in August and September 2002 respectively. The Lord Mayor later hosted Civic Dinners to welcome their successors, Matthew Baggott the new Chief Constable and David Webb who took over as the Chief Fire Officer.
Two important sporting events were marked during Councillor Bodell-Stagg's Year of Office. On 24th September 2002, the Lord Mayor hosted a Civic Reception, at the City Rooms, to honour the Leicester Football Club (The Tigers) in recognition of their success in winning Rugby's Zurich Premiership for the fourth successive year and retaining the Heineken European Championship Cup. They became the first-ever club to retain the European Cup when they defeated Munster 15-9 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on 25th May 2002. The success of Leicester City Football Club in gaining promotion and an immediate return to the Premier League was celebrated with a Civic Reception for the players and management which took place at the Town Hall on 6th May 2003.
On 18th March 2003, Councillor Bodell-Stagg became the first Lord Mayor of Leicester to abseil in aid of a charitable cause. The Lord Mayor abseiled 140 feet down the side of the National Space Centre, in aid of Vista - the local charity for visually impaired people, in her tracksuit and trainers complete with safety helmet!
Two important innovations were initiated by the Lord Mayor during her Year of Office. Firstly, she launched a new award - the Young Person of the Year Award which was aimed at recognising city children who had performed outstanding and inspirational achievements. At a ceremony, at the Town Hall, on 29th January 2003 the Lord Mayor presented awards to the joint-winners she had chosen from twelve finalists, Yasmin Ali and Jesse Frank, both aged 15 years and pupils of Crown Hills Community College.
The second initiative was the instigation of the "Pennies from Heaven" scheme, a fundraising venture whereby members of staff of the Leicester City Council could contribute loose pennies, from their monthly salaries, towards the Lord Mayor's Appeal. This initiative as to be continued by future Lord Mayors.
One of the Lord Mayor's final engagements was to unveil portraits, in the Town Hall, of four former Lord Mayors who had died whilst continuing to serve as City Councillors.
The Lord Mayors who were commemorated were:-
Councillor Gordhan Devraj Parmar Lord Mayor 1987-88
Councillor Guy Joseph Patrick McKenna Collis Lord Mayor 1988-89
Councillor David Anthony Taylor Lord Mayor 1989-90
Councillor Robert Wigglesworth Lord Mayor 1992-93
The Lord Mayor had served and worked with all four of her predecessors and the unveiling of the portraits marked a further chapter in the city's civic history.
Councillor Maggie Bodell-Stagg thoroughly enjoyed her Year of Office and was particularly struck by the kindness and the warmth of the welcome she received at the hundreds of events she attended across the city. Being Lord Mayor was, for her, like having Christmas every day of the year and it proved to be an extraordinary opportunity to see and meet people she would never otherwise have experienced.
The Lord Mayor's Appeal was in aid of the Salvation Army and all donations received were divided between three special projects:
The Salvation Army Social Programme, Leicester
The Emery Hospital, Anand, Gujarat, India
The Kwetu (Our People) Tanzania, Women and Aids Project
Councillor Bodell-Stagg's Year of Office was concluded on 22nd May 2003.
