You've lived in Hammersmith & Fulham your whole life – tell us about your connection to the borough.
I was born at Hammersmith Hospital in 1965 – then called Du Cane Hospital – the same year the borough was formed from the merger of Fulham and Hammersmith.
My mum and dad came over from Grenada in 1960 as part of the Windrush generation.
Growing up just off Askew Road in Shepherds Bush with my younger brother and sister, I went to Hammersmith County School, now Phoenix Academy.
When I was 14, my family moved to Fulham, where I've lived ever since. It's also where I met my husband, Jim, at age sixteen and we've been married now for nearly 30 years.
How did you get started in local politics and what made you want to become a councillor?
After school I worked at local cafes and in retail. Including 'Scottie's' on North End Road for those who remember it – a fabulous clothes shop. When I was made redundant (on Christmas Eve!), a dear friend suggested I try being a home help for the council.
I got the job at 19 and, around the same time, joined the GMB trade union. Within a year, I became a shop steward, standing up for the rights of social care workers including equal pay for women and men.
My career grew from there. I became the youngest trade union official at 25 – a traditionally male-dominated field.
When I was 45, I decided to go to university to get involved in local government. I studied Local Government and Politics at Birkbeck and was first elected as a H&F councillor in 2014.
What does a day in the life of Sharon Holder look like?
Like most people, no day looks exactly the same for me.
But my routine really changed in 2017 when I had to learn to live as a Disabled woman. One morning I woke up and couldn't feel the left side of my body. I thought I was having a stroke.
After a month in hospital and rehabilitation, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
Now my husband Jim and I start each day together with my physiotherapy exercises. He's learned all the routines with me and for me – he's become my partner in managing this condition.
I've always been the breadwinner in our family. I had to make reasonable adjustments to continue to do so. The council has been completely supportive and helped me make it work.
But I couldn't do any of this without my family's support, especially Jim's. When you're dealing with chronic pain, having that unconditional support makes all the difference.
It's taught me a lot about what inclusion really means – adapting to support each other, just like Jim adapted for me, just like the council adapted for me.
What are your favourite spots in the borough?
Oh, our parks! During Covid, I was so conscious of families and children stuck inside, so we really encouraged people to use our green spaces.
My absolute favourite one is Bishops Park and within that, Fulham Palace. It's truly a national treasure and we're so lucky to have it right on our doorstep.
You've chosen some brilliant local charities for your Mayoral year. What are they and why are they close to your heart?
The three charities I've chosen are a nod to how H&F supports residents through all stages of life, with services tailored to individual needs.
Nubian Life Centre in Shepherds Bush focuses on elderly African and African-Caribbean residents. My father used their services when he had dementia. They bring people together with common interests and shared history.
Fulham Good Neighbours encourages older people to stay connected and active through programmes like their gardening programme. They really adapt to what people need.
The Pearly Kings and Queens are a proper institution in Fulham! They raise funds for other local charities – supporting local residents and businesses throughout the community.
What do you love most about living in Fulham?
The sense of community. I've got friends I've known for more than 40 years. You see mothers and children become grandmothers, and their children have children.
My Catholic faith is important to me too. The commitment to care and community that it teaches – that's what I see lived out here every day. People looking after each other, supporting their neighbours, that's what matters.
And here's a fun fact about me – we've proudly lived in council-provided social housing all our lives.
What do you like to do when you're not being Mayor?
Family time with Jim and our daughters Rebecca and Hannah is everything to me. And we're both committed to looking after our parents.
I'm also passionate about our borough's incredible cultural heritage.
H&F is home to world-class entertainment venues like the Bush Theatre in Shepherds Bush, the Eventim Apollo and the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith. We're proud to make their events accessible to everyone by offering FREE tickets or resident discounts via our monthly What's On newsletter.
We're also working to uncover and celebrate the 'hidden figures' of H&F through our Heritage Trails.
For example, so much of British Black music was written right here!
Our Black music history trail spotlights some of them, including Peckings Records importing Caribbean music, to Island Records where Bob Marley recorded, to the legendary Hammersmith Palais.
What does it mean to you to be Mayor of the place you've called home for nearly 60 years?
It's more than most people can ever imagine, actually. It has truly defined who I am.
It's the honour of a lifetime to represent the place where my parents built their new life, where I've raised my daughters, and where I've worked my whole career.
In my role as 'first citizen', I want to promote the borough as an amazing place to grow up, a place that supports residents throughout all phases of life, tailored to individual needs.
It's also about using my lived experience to improve how the council works with Disabled people and delivers services. I learned to be Disabled when it happened out of the blue in 2017, and I want that experience to help make our borough work better for everyone.
That fight for equality, for standing up for people who don't have a voice – that's what drives me as Mayor.
