News: King's Birthday Honours for Rotherham execs
Rotherham Council Chief Executive Sharon Kemp has been awarded an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours list, for her services to business and to the community in Rotherham and South Yorkshire.
And Sarah McLeod, the CEO steering the regeneration of Wentworth Woodhouse in Rotherham, arguably the UK’s greatest heritage restoration challenge of a generation, has been awarded an OBE for her services to the heritage sector.
Joining Rotherham Council in 2016 as part of a whole new senior leadership team brought in under Government appointed Commissioners, Sharon led the organisation on an improvement journey which saw its Children and Young People’s Services first being rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted in 2017 and the organisation come out of special measures and intervention in 2018.
The Council was recognised as the 'Most Improved Council' in the country at the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards in 2022, followed by an LGA peer review which described the Council as ‘an impressive organisation which serves the town well’ in 2023.
Sharon was appointed Transformation Commissioner for Nottingham City Council in May this year, whilst continuing to serve the people of Rotherham in her role as Chief Executive of the Council.
Sharon said: “This is an incredible honour, and I will be accepting in recognition of the Council, the borough, and all councillors, colleagues, partners and communities that work together to make Rotherham the amazing place it is.
“It is a privilege to do this job and to be part of such a dedicated team. I have had the honour of working with Cllr Chris Read as Leader of the Council, in driving forward the improvement of the Council and want to take this opportunity to thank those past and present who have not only supported the Council’s journey so far but continue to work together to create an even better future for Rotherham and the wider region.”
Cllr Chris Read, Leader of Rotherham Council said: “Sharon has been central to the Council’s improvement journey over the past eight years and her energy, drive and unrelenting focus on delivering the best services possible for the people of Rotherham has been evident throughout our work together. She has played a key role in developing and improving partnerships across the borough and South Yorkshire, increasing collaboration and maximising opportunities for the area.
“As we continue to tackle the challenges facing our borough over the coming months and years, Sharon’s steadfast commitment to good quality public services and to our communities will continue to drive further success.”
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Sarah joined Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust (WWPT) as CEO in May 2017 after having to be persuaded to apply as “I didn’t think I knew enough about country houses.”
It was, she says, both the biggest challenge, and the biggest risk, she had ever undertaken.
Weeks earlier, the Trust, spearheaded by Dame Julie Kenny DBE DL, had bought the dilapidated Grade I listed Georgian country house in Rotherham for £7m.
The task ahead was described in the sector as the ‘UK’s greatest heritage restoration challenge of a generation’. The estimated cost was £130m and every penny needed to be raised over the coming decades.
Seven years on and the house is boosting the region’s economy, providing jobs, nurturing skills and enabling local people to participate in new creative and cultural activities.
Sarah McLeod has developed and guided the WWPT from a start-up to a busy trading business now turning over £3.5m a year and growing, and has successfully raised funding for, and delivered, almost £30m of capital works. She also spearheaded and launched both the Trust’s overarching Masterplan and its Cultural Strategy, creating over 100 new paid jobs and over 300 volunteer roles.
"I’m so glad I took on the challenge,” says Sarah. “Wentworth Woodhouse is so much more than a restoration project; We are creating something really special, and my role has allowed me, and the people I work with, to be really creative and innovative in our thinking. We do things differently to other country houses and we are very proud of that.
“I am honoured and so proud to receive an OBE for my work. I feel incredibly lucky to work in heritage and am very grateful to everyone who has given me opportunities and supported me throughout my career,” said Sarah.
“For me, this award represents the hard work of everyone who works to protect and restore our historic places.”
RMBC website
Wentworth Woodhouse website
Images: RMBC / WWPT
And Sarah McLeod, the CEO steering the regeneration of Wentworth Woodhouse in Rotherham, arguably the UK’s greatest heritage restoration challenge of a generation, has been awarded an OBE for her services to the heritage sector.
Joining Rotherham Council in 2016 as part of a whole new senior leadership team brought in under Government appointed Commissioners, Sharon led the organisation on an improvement journey which saw its Children and Young People’s Services first being rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted in 2017 and the organisation come out of special measures and intervention in 2018.
The Council was recognised as the 'Most Improved Council' in the country at the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards in 2022, followed by an LGA peer review which described the Council as ‘an impressive organisation which serves the town well’ in 2023.
Sharon was appointed Transformation Commissioner for Nottingham City Council in May this year, whilst continuing to serve the people of Rotherham in her role as Chief Executive of the Council.
Sharon said: “This is an incredible honour, and I will be accepting in recognition of the Council, the borough, and all councillors, colleagues, partners and communities that work together to make Rotherham the amazing place it is.
“It is a privilege to do this job and to be part of such a dedicated team. I have had the honour of working with Cllr Chris Read as Leader of the Council, in driving forward the improvement of the Council and want to take this opportunity to thank those past and present who have not only supported the Council’s journey so far but continue to work together to create an even better future for Rotherham and the wider region.”
Cllr Chris Read, Leader of Rotherham Council said: “Sharon has been central to the Council’s improvement journey over the past eight years and her energy, drive and unrelenting focus on delivering the best services possible for the people of Rotherham has been evident throughout our work together. She has played a key role in developing and improving partnerships across the borough and South Yorkshire, increasing collaboration and maximising opportunities for the area.
“As we continue to tackle the challenges facing our borough over the coming months and years, Sharon’s steadfast commitment to good quality public services and to our communities will continue to drive further success.”
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Sarah joined Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust (WWPT) as CEO in May 2017 after having to be persuaded to apply as “I didn’t think I knew enough about country houses.”
It was, she says, both the biggest challenge, and the biggest risk, she had ever undertaken.
Weeks earlier, the Trust, spearheaded by Dame Julie Kenny DBE DL, had bought the dilapidated Grade I listed Georgian country house in Rotherham for £7m.
The task ahead was described in the sector as the ‘UK’s greatest heritage restoration challenge of a generation’. The estimated cost was £130m and every penny needed to be raised over the coming decades.
Seven years on and the house is boosting the region’s economy, providing jobs, nurturing skills and enabling local people to participate in new creative and cultural activities.
"I’m so glad I took on the challenge,” says Sarah. “Wentworth Woodhouse is so much more than a restoration project; We are creating something really special, and my role has allowed me, and the people I work with, to be really creative and innovative in our thinking. We do things differently to other country houses and we are very proud of that.
“I am honoured and so proud to receive an OBE for my work. I feel incredibly lucky to work in heritage and am very grateful to everyone who has given me opportunities and supported me throughout my career,” said Sarah.
“For me, this award represents the hard work of everyone who works to protect and restore our historic places.”
RMBC website
Wentworth Woodhouse website
Images: RMBC / WWPT
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