Deputy Mayor's biography

Deputy Mayor of the City of Sunderland, Councillor Melanie Thornton

I have lived in Sunderland all of my life and all that time has been in the Coalfield area. Growing up in East Rainton, I attended East Rainton Primary School, and then in the early 1980's my parents bought their first home, and we moved to Hetton, where I attended Bernard Gilpin School in Houghton.

After school I attended Sunderland College followed by New College Durham where I studied housing, and in more recent years I studied 'youth justice' with the Open University.

In 1992, I went to work at Gateshead Council, and I remain there to this day, having worked in housing, youth justice, and since 2017 I have worked in the Early Help service, which is part of Children's Social Care.

My two daughters are my pride and joy, and we live together at Hetton Downs, where I have lived since 1997.

In 2017 I joined the Labour Party and in 2019 I became a City Councillor in the Copt Hill ward, which covers parts of Hetton and Houghton. I am passionate about improving opportunities for the people in my area, and I volunteer with a number of local groups including the Friends of Hetton Lyons Country Park, and I am the Chair of Coalfields Pride, which has been running since 2021.

During my time as a city Councillor, I have served on many committees, and until taking on the role of Deputy Mayor I served as Chair of Planning and Highways for several years.

Taking on the role of Deputy Mayor is an honour and a privilege, and I look forward to meeting the great people of our city and finding out all about what is happening in Sunderland, Washington and the Coalfield areas.