Clarence Barrett Award 2022 – Winner announced!

The Clarence Barrett Award is our highest award presented to LGA Independent Group Members. The Award recognises those councillors who go above and beyond in their work, to contribute something significant to local government and residents.


We are pleased to announce that the winner of the 2022 Clarence Barrett Award was Councillor Gillian Ford. The nominations and eventual winner were read out at our 2022 Independent Annual Group Conference last year.

The Clarence Barrett Award is our highest award presented to LGA Independent Group Members. The Award recognises those councillors who go above and beyond in their work, to contribute something significant to local government and residents. 

Gillian has been a Councillor for 20 years this year, and has been a standard bearer for independent politics in the Borough of Havering, and it is in no small measure due to her efforts over many years, that there is now an independent administration in a London Borough for the first time in many years.

She is deeply immersed in local issues, campaigning on, for example, the loss of a much loved golf course to development, and is Deputy Leader of the council as well as chair of its Health and Wellbeing Board. She still finds time to represent the Independent Group as Deputy Chair of the LGA City and Regions Board having formally been the Deputy Chair of the LGA Community Wellbeing Board.

Below is Councillor Ford receiving her award from last year’s winner, Councillor Julian German.

Councillor Ford receiving the Clarence Barrett Award from former winner Councillor German

Other Councillors who received citations nominations were: Councillors Carole Ann Da Costa, Jason Zadrozny, Denise Carlo, Martin Fodor and Ed Gemmell. Our congratulations and thanks to them also for the outstanding service they give to their local residents and communities.

Nominations for the 2023 Clarence Barrett Award will re-open later this year.