Brenda Dacres - Mayor for Lewisham ( Ward)

Mayor Brenda Dacres

 Labour and Co-operative Party  Ward  Mayor

Email: brenda.dacres@lewisham.gov.uk

Council: Lewisham

Council Profile: View on council website

Committees: Council (Committee Member) Mayor and Cabinet (Chair) Health and Wellbeing Board (Chair) Public Accounts Select Committee (Mayor) Works Council Brent, Lewisham and Southwark IT Committee

Activity Timeline

Meetings Attended Note this may include planned future meetings.

34 meetings · Page 1 of 7

Mayor and Cabinet Chair

Mayor and Cabinet - Wednesday, 3rd December, 2025 6.00 pm

At a meeting of the Lewisham Council Mayor and Cabinet, the council agreed to extend contracts for extra care and learning disability services, approved participation in a sexual health commissioning agreement, and set the council tax base for 2026/27. The cabinet also approved a number of procurement exercises for housing works, IT services, and waste management. Additionally, they noted the progress made in delivering the Corporate Strategy and reviewed the annual complaints report.

December 03, 2025
Council Committee Member

Council - Wednesday, 26th November, 2025 7.30 pm

The Council of Lewisham was scheduled to meet on Wednesday, 26 November 2025, to discuss the statement of accounts for 2024-25, consider several motions, and address questions from both the public and council members.

November 26, 2025
Mayor and Cabinet Chair

Mayor and Cabinet - Wednesday, 22nd October, 2025 6.00 pm

At a meeting on 22 October 2025, Lewisham Council's Mayor and Cabinet agreed to extend the advice services grant, implement changes to bulky waste disposal, and transfer management of Whitefoot Lane Playing Fields to Bonus Pastor School, among other decisions. The cabinet also approved a new active travel strategy and discussed ways to improve housing policies and services.

October 22, 2025
Health and Wellbeing Board Chair

Health and Wellbeing Board - Monday, 13th October, 2025 3.00 pm

The Lewisham Health and Well-Being Board convened to discuss several key initiatives, including updates on health inequalities, flu vaccination campaigns, sexual health strategies, and the implementation of the NHS 10-Year Plan. The board approved the Lewisham, Lambeth, Southwark, Bromley and Bexley sexual health strategy, and delegated approval of the neighbourhood health plan to the chair of the board. Members also received updates on the Birmingham Lewisham African Caribbean Health Inequalities Review (BLACHIR), the flu vaccination campaign, and the Better Care Fund.

October 13, 2025
Council Committee Member

Council - Wednesday, 24th September, 2025 7.30 pm

Lewisham Council met to discuss a range of issues, including increasing councillor allowances, the use of substitutes on committees, and motions on childcare and public ownership of Thames Water[^2]. Councillors agreed to increase their basic allowance by 3.2% to £13,201 per year, and approved the use of substitutes on certain committees to ensure meetings can proceed even if some members are absent. A motion supporting the Labour government's plan for 30 hours of free childcare was passed, as was an amended motion calling for Thames Water to be brought back into public ownership.

September 24, 2025

Decisions from Meetings

249 decisions · Page 29 of 50

Corporate Electric Contract Extension sign off sheet

From: Mayor and Cabinet - Wednesday, 30th April, 2025 6.00 pm - April 30, 2025

...to approve a one-year extension of the corporate electricity contract under the Crown Commercial Services framework and delegate authority to the Executive Director for Finance, Digital and Corporate Resources to review available frameworks and electricity markets with external consultants.

Recommendations Approved

Permission to Procure the Repairs and Maintenance of Mechanical Services and Cold-water Risk Assessments 2025 – 2030.

From: Mayor and Cabinet - Wednesday, 30th April, 2025 6.00 pm - April 30, 2025

...to procure contracts for the repairs and maintenance of mechanical services and cold-water risk assessments for the period of 2025-2030, utilizing specific SEC framework agreements and delegating the selection of preferred providers to the Executive Director for Housing.

Recommendations Approved

School Meals contract extension part 1 2025 Final (003) EH (003)

From: Mayor and Cabinet - Wednesday, 30th April, 2025 6.00 pm - April 30, 2025

...to extend the school catering contract with Chartwells for one year, from August 1, 2025, to July 31, 2026, at a value of £4,595,982, increasing the annual contract value by £281,454.

Recommendations Approved

Declarations of Interests

From: Mayor and Cabinet - Wednesday, 30th April, 2025 6.00 pm - April 30, 2025

...to approve the recommendations regarding the declaration of interests, reminding members to declare any personal interests they have in any item on the agenda, as outlined in the Council's Member Code of Conduct.

Recommendations Approved

Summary

Meetings Attended: 34

Average per Month: 1.8

Decisions Recorded: 249