Councillor John Clarke JP
Councillor John Clarke JP was appointed as the mayor in May 2024 at the official Mayor Making Ceremony in the town hall. He's been formally elected to serve as the mayor of Barnsley for 2024 to 2025.
Cllr Clarke JP has served the Worsbrough ward as local councillor since 2014. He'll carry on doing this until at least 2026. During the year leading up to his appointment as mayor, Cllr Clarke JP also held the position of Barnsley’s Deputy Mayor. This puts him in good stead for the year ahead.
Cllr Clarke JP was born in Malta as his dad was based there during his national service, along with his mum, Irene, before returning back to the United Kingdom. Cllr Clarke JP attended Worsbrough High School, before starting work for the National Coal Board (NCB) in 1969. He was elected union official for the National Union of Mineworkers. During that time, he also attended Sheffield University to study economics and industrial relations as part of his role as a union official.
After the closure of the coal industry, he retrained as an advanced driving instructor. He ran his own business until retiring in 2015.
Since becoming a councillor for the Worsbrough ward, he's devoted his time to bringing the local community together, giving them opportunities and serving their needs. He also volunteered as a Magistrate at Barnsley Court for 16 years. He served on the bench, dealing with a wide range of cases.
Cllr Clarke JP is married to Doreen and has two daughters, Lauren and Elizabeth. Doreen also attended Worsbrough High School and then worked at John Halidays in Worsbrough until their children were born. After the children had grown up, Doreen returned to work as deputy manager for Action for Children, and later Debra Charities, until retiring.
Cllr Clarke would say that Doreen has always been a great support during his time as a councillor and more recently Deputy Mayor. She'll continue to support him as mayoress during his role as the mayor of Barnsley.