Current Mayor of Wirral - Councillor Gerry Ellis

Gerry’s family settled in Wallasey when he was a young child and he attended Vaughan Road Juniors and Oldershaw Grammar School. 

On leaving school he worked for a few years on the Liverpool cotton market before joining Bibby’s Animal Feeds in Liverpool as a management trainee.    

In the following years he studied part time for a BA degree and professional membership of the Chartered Institute of Management and the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development. During his many years of membership of these bodies he served various terms as secretary and chairman of their Merseyside branches. 

His career in management included roles as factory personnel officer with Bibby’s, personnel manager in a bakery and in a distribution company, and senior lecturer in management studies at colleges in Wigan and Wirral. He later formed his own employment relations & management training consultancy in Liverpool, from which he has now retired.

Gerry’s interest in local politics stretches back to the 1960s when he was elected to represent New Brighton – as the youngest member of the former Wallasey borough council. 

Many years later in 1998 he returned to the Town Hall as member for Hoylake ward. Since then he has served on various council committees; he is a former chairman of the Employment and Appointments Committee and has represented the Council on Merseyside Fire & Rescue Authority and Mersey Port Health Authority.  Also, until recently, he served as Chairman of the West Wirral Area Forum.

 In the local community he is an assistant warden at St Bridget’s Church in West Kirby, programme secretary for the Hoylake Historical Society and an active member of the West Kirby Probus club.  He was a marathon runner for many years and still enjoys his early morning jogs over the sandhills between Hoylake and West Kirby. 

Gerry is married to the Mayoress, Margaret Ellis, who is known as Maggie. They have three adult children - Jackie, Mark and Carolyn - and eight grandchildren, ranging in age from three to twenty.

Gerry hopes to focus on health issues and on improving the lives of homeless and young people during his year as Mayor.  He has chosen to support specific projects at Birkenhead YMCA, Wirral and West Cheshire Prostate Cancer Appeal and the Wirral Guide and Scout Associations.  He also hopes to be able to make some donations to a number of other local charities.

Mayoress of Wirral, Mrs Margaret Ellis

Maggie spent her childhood in Meols and West Kirby.  Before starting her family she was a civil service executive officer in Birkenhead.  Later, when the children were at school, she worked part time for many years as a scientific officer with the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences at Bidston Observatory. 

She leads a busy life as a member of the local National Women’s Register, St Bridget’s Church, a book club, a walking group and a weekly upholstery class at Hoylake Community Centre. She also enjoys gardening and spending time with her family.

Contact the Civic Services Office

By Post:

Sue Carroll
Civic Services Officer
Wallasey Town Hall
Brighton Street, Wallasey
Wirral
CH44 8ED.

By email: suecarroll@wirral.gov.uk
By phone: 0151 691 8527