Tributes pour in following death of 'such dedicated' former mayor of Oldham

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Tributes have been paid after it was announced a former councillor and mayor of Oldham nicknamed ‘Mrs Lees’ has died. Val Sedgwick, who served as an Oldham councillor for 24 years, passed away on Tuesday (August 1).

Ms Sedgwick was first Liberal Democrat councillor for the Lees ward from 1992 until 2000 when boundary changes saw her then become the representative for Saddleworth West and Lees until 2016.

She was Mayor of Oldham from 2003-2004 and also served on many of the council’s committees, including two years as Chair of the Licensing Committee. Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features. She was described as being a strong advocate for local charities and also had a background in tackling anti-social behaviour in the area.

She helped reopen Lees’ Post Office and was said to have continued working for the local community even after stepping down from her council role.