Biography of the Mayor of Salford, Councillor Eric Burgoyne

Councillor Burgoyne was born in Seedley and has lived in Salford all of his life. He began his education at Halton Bank Primary School, before passing the 11-plus examination and transferring to Salford Grammar school.

At school he took an active interest in the local amateur dramatic society and appeared in several productions including Emperor Jones (by American playwright Eugene O'Neill) with Albert Finney. Also a keen rugby player, he played for the first and second 15s and captained the latter. He continued playing for the Old Salfordians after leaving school until a recurring ankle injury forced an early retirement.

The Mayor is married to Val (who served as Mayor of the City of Salford 2007-2008) who will be his Mayoress and they have four children Stephen, Jonathan, Samantha and Julien. Their seven grandchildren range between the ages of two and 22 years old.

The Mayor is a lifelong supporter of Salford City Reds and he fondly remembers his first match at Belle Vue. Whilst he enjoys watching most sports, the Mayor's favourite pastimes involve puzzles including crosswords and quizzes and a particular passion for Sudoku.

His working life began at Ferranti at Hollinwood where he was accepted on a sandwich course, studying for a Dip.Tech, in electrical engineering. After working at all of Ferranti's sites, he finally settled at Gem Mill, Chadderton, the company's electronic division.

After a couple of years, the Mayor moved to BIC (Submarine Cables), closer to home in Trafford Park. When BIC moved their operations, he went to work at Chloride Batteries, first at Clifton and then Over Hulton, where he was to spend the next 20 years.

Looking for a change, he went on to join White Arrow Express, a mail order delivery company, where he established a courier service to complement the van deliveries. The service operated initially out of a depot in Farnworth, followed by services out of Blackburn and Carlisle.

In 1999 he was elected to Salford City Council, serving the Pendlebury ward of the city of Salford. He subsequently served on several committees including the Planning and the Licensing panels. He has more recently served as Executive Support Member for both Adult Social Care and the Environment.

The Mayor has chosen to support the following charities during his term of office:

St. Ann's Hospice
This hospice is run by an independent charity based on three sites. The Mayor is supporting the hospice based in Little Hulton, Salford, where palliative care is provided for patients with advanced and progressive illnesses. This type of care involves the management of pain and other symptoms as well as valuable psychological social and spiritual support.

Salford Young Carers Service
Run by the Princess Royal Trust for Carers, this service is for young people aged between eight and 17 years. It offers advice, support, information, specialist support groups, activities and residential breaks. The service includes festivals, forums and a dedicated worker to support young carers as they become young adult carers.

This page was last updated on 1 May 2012