Our Town Councillors represent the community and work in the best interests of the town. They attend monthly Town Council meetings and take part in various council committees to help guide decisions and ensure the council runs effectively.
Each Councillor sits on one or more Committees and attend working group meetings.
We currently have vacancies for Town Councillors. If you’re passionate about Harleston and would like to contribute more to our community, click here to find out more about what it means to be a Town Councillor.
If you have questions, concerns, or matters they would like to raise about the town. If you’d like to contact a Councillor please click here.
Paul Mba, Chair of the Council
Hi my name is Paul Mba, but my friends and most of Harleston know me as Mo. I have lived in Harleston for over 20 years and recently retired from Clays at Bungay after 30 years’ service.
To be elected as Chairman is a real honour and I am proud to hold this position. I joined the council in 2022 an became Chair a few months later. I care passionately about the town and the people who live here, not just family and friends but all of us that call Harleston ‘home’. I like the interaction with people and the different experiences this brings .
I feel my greatest achievement has been to raise the bar of the Council and to try an get everyone not just Councillors working as one team.
I am a keen supporter of Harleston Town Football Club, the Memorial Leisure Centre and all the groups in Harleston that all work so hard to keep Harleston the fantastic town it is. I promise that with the help of fellow councillors and the council team in an out of the office I hope we can make the town proud of its Council. I am a grandad to five grandchildren who live in Harleston and surrounding areas.
I sit on the following Committees: Planning & Development Committee, Strategy Committee, Finance Committee and HR Committee.
Matt Scade, Vice Chair of the Council
I was elected as Vice Chair of the Council in November 2025, and I’m proud to be one of the Town Council’s longest standing members.
Outside of the Council, I’m the Project Manager for the Waveney Foodbank. The foodbank is a project founded by local churches and community groups, working together towards stopping hunger in our local area.
I sit on the following Committees: Amenities & Facilities, Strategy Committee, Finance Committee and HR Committee.
John Graham
I am married to Annie and have a daughter and two granddaughters. I grew up in Renfrewshire, Scotland and at the age of 16 years, left home to join the Army, going on to serve in the Royal Highland Fusiliers. Later, I relocated to The Royal Military Police, where I stayed until 1981. Leaving the Forces, I joined the British Transport Police as a uniformed officer, serving in Birmingham and Derby, before transferring to the CID, based in London until retirement in 1998.
In 2000, we moved from Essex to Pulham Market, where I became a councillor on the Pulham Market Parish Council, and moved to Harleston 16 years later, where we still live. I am actively involved in the Norfolk and Suffolk Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme as an Expedition Instructor and Assessor, working with schools and colleges in the County, and have recently retired as a First Aid Instructor. I am proud to be a volunteer with Waveney Food Bank and a member of the London Road Church.
I was co-opted onto Harleston Town Council last year, in the sincere hope that I can be an active an useful members of the team involved with the exciting future planning and development of the town, and be a positive voice on behalf of the residents of Harleston and surrounding areas.
I sit on the following Committees: Planning Committee and Strategy Committee. I’m also the Town Council’s Armed Forces Champion.
Geoff Roy
I joined the Town Council in April 2025. I actively volunteer with key organisations, including the River Waveney Trust and the Harleston & District Branch of the Royal British Legion, contributing to initiatives that support and enrich the area.
Beyond my local involvement, I have a diverse professional background spanning multiple sectors and regions, serving in the Australian Army, and farming across Australia, I’ve extensively travelled through Asia and Africa, where I also pursued travel photography. More recently, I’ve expertise in facilities management and electrical work. I’m a Qualified Shotgun Coach affiliated with the Guild of Shooting Instructors.
Since moving to Norfolk in 2017 and settling in Harleston in 2023, I’ve embraced my role as a local resident and am interested in the town’s growth and development while ensuring it retains its distinctive character and heritage.
I sit on the following Committees: Amenities & Facilities Committee, Planning & Development Committee and Strategy Committee.
Shelagh West
I’m a retired professional with a broad skill set and an appetite to create positive social impact. Being a retired successful company owner, I feel I have a strong commercial awareness. I especially enjoy leading creative projects.
I moved to Harleston a few years ago to be near my son and grandchildren. My background as a trustee for several charities including including the Citizens Advice Bureau helps with understanding residents and their needs and wishes.
I am a trustee of Exchange 2 youth drop-in centre, and I am keen to look after the interests of teenagers and all residents no matter what their age or interests.
I sit on the following Committees: Amenities & Facilities Committee, Strategy Committee and Finance Committee.
Eloise Wilkinson
Hi I’m Eloise. I have lived in Harleston with my two children for five years and in the local area for many more years. I love this town! There is lots going on, people are friendly and keen to make a difference.
I’ve been a Councillor since around 2022, and am a primary school teacher in the local area. Before that I worked as a forest school leader and trainer for many years with all ages, primary schools, nurseries, high schools, pupil referral units and in a large mental health charity.
I love the outdoors and I love people from all walks of life backgrounds and experiences. I am passionate about sustainability and people coming together in community.
I have been involved with setting up and running community projects in different places I have lived, and feel I can bring that experience to this role. I want to get involved in the town I live in, make sure peoples voices are heard and support in carrying out the Town councils plans for all.
There are currently five Town Councillor vacancies.
Click here if you’re interested in becoming a Town Councillor.
View the list of interests for Redenhall with Harleston Town Council
South Norfolk District Council
Trevor Graham trevor.graham@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk
James Eddy James.Eddy@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk
Norfolk County Council
Joseph Kerrison: joseph.kerrison.cllr@norfolk.gov.uk