Worthing Borough Council

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The Mayor

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democratic.services@worthing.gov.uk

Councillor Lieutenant Commander Noël Atkins - 93rd Mayor of the Borough of Worthing 2009/10

Noël was born of a French mother and English father. He was educated at Whitgift in South Croydon and Elim Bible College in Capel, where he graduated in Theology.

It was while Noël was at Theological College that he met his wife to be, Danish student, Helena Lulu. They married three years later in 1975 and together went into the Christian Ministry with Pye Barn Trust, a residential rehabilitation centre for drug and alcohol offenders. They have 5 children, Amelia (27), Andreas (25), Amanda (20), Oliver (18) and Celina (12), all educated in Worthing Schools and Colleges.

Noël subsequently embarked on a career in ICT and in parallel served in the Reserve arm of the Royal Navy, where he qualified as Diving Officer; Navigating Officer; and Executive Officer of the Minehunter HMS Kellington, based in Shoreham Harbour. In 1980 after 20 years service Noël was decorated by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with the Reserve Decoration.

Noël first served as a Councillor for Hove Borough Council 1980-1983, before moving to Denmark with his family and living on the Island of Funen. After 15 years he returned in 1998 to work for Bond International Software in Goring-by-Sea, as Business Development Executive in the Healthcare Sector.

Noël has represented Salvington Ward since May 2004 and is a member of the High Salvington Residents’ Association and a Life Member of the High Salvington Mill Trust. Noël has been Policy Adviser to the Cabinet Member for Resources and Chair of the Joint ICT Working Group. He has been Vice Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Chair of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Panel for Performance Issues and a former Member of the Licensing Committee.

He is the Council’s appointed representative on outside bodies serving as: Non-Exec Director of Worthing Homes; Member of the Worthing Fairtrade Group; Elected Member of the Worthing Action Group, which acts as the ‘strategic action group’ for the Worthing Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP), to make Worthing a safer place for us all.

Noël has many interests including Worthing Chamber of Commerce, Worthing First Business Group and accompanied the KWASH petition (Keep Worthing and Southlands Hospitals) to the House of Commons in 2006.

Noël is a trustee of The Trussell Trust which facilitated the formation of the Worthing Food Bank, providing free food to all Worthing residents in crisis, so that nobody in Worthing need ever go to bed hungry at night.

Noël is committed to serving the people of Worthing and wants to promote Worthing as a thriving business community and a wonderful place to Live, Work and Socialise.

the Mayor of Worthing, Noel Atkins (Large)

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