Conservative councillor Bob Donoghue has been elected as Darlington’s mayor for the forthcoming council year. 

Cllr Donoghue, a member for Park West ward, was elected at a ceremony on Thursday and will represent the borough throughout the community for the next year. 

He shared his excitement for the year ahead after previously serving as Deputy Mayor. 

“A high point of my mayoral year will be the grand opening of the Hopetown visitor attraction on July 16,” said cllr Donoghue. 

“This wonderful sight will tell the story of how we changed the world from Darlington in 1825, creating an exciting visitor experience for our residents but also a much wider audience from across the UK. 

“Please come and visit, shout about it, and encourage everyone to celebrate what Darlington gave to the world. 

“I promise that I will value the huge responsibility that I have taken on and will work together to represent this town and borough, and all those who live and work here.”

A former sea cadet, Cllr Donoghue worked in various jobs across Teesside. He left home at the age of 16 to attend the “university of life” and gained a degree in “life experiences”, he told the ceremony. 

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Cllr Donoghue added: “I met councillor Heather Scott at a bus stop and we became friends. Later, she convinced me to become a councillor and here I still am today.”

He selected two Darlington charities to be represented during his time as mayor; Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre (RSACC) and Recovery Connections, an organisation helping people with addiction support. 

The borough’s former mayor Cllr Jan Cossins thanked members for her time in office as mayor between May 2023 and May 2024.