The Mayor of Barnet

Councillor Nagus Narenthira has become the 58th Mayor of Barnet, after being officially sworn in during the Annual Council Meeting held on Tuesday 23 May at Hendon town Hall.

Councillor Narenthira takes over from the borough’s previous Mayor, Councillor Alison Moore.

The Mayor’s Escort will be her husband Mr Kan Narenthira. The Deputy Mayor will be Cllr Tony Vourou and his wife Caroline Vourou, the Deputy Mayoress.

The Worshipful the Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Nagus Narenthira, said:

"I am deeply honoured to be appointed as Mayor of the London Borough of Barnet. Having lived in this wonderful borough for many years, I am committed to serving its diverse communities and working towards their betterment. I look forward to collaborating with fellow councillors and community members to make Barnet an even more vibrant and inclusive place for all.

“I would also like to extend my thanks to Councillor Moore for all of her hard work as Mayor over the last year.”

Nagus Narenthira was born and brought up in Sri Lanka. She was the oldest child of three in the family. She had her primary and secondary education in a well-known independent school in the town of Jaffna. She graduated from University of Sri Lanka and then went on to read for M.Phil in Entomology at Post Graduate Institute of Agriculture of Sri Lanka. This project was funded by Overseas Development Authority UK. She worked as a Lecturer in University of Peradeniya, Research Officer at Department of Agriculture and lecturer at Teachers’ training college in Sri Lanka.

She came to UK in 1987 to join her husband who was a student here at that time with her son.  She had to leave her profession in Sri Lanka due to civil unrest and it was not safe to live there anymore. She joined Mill Hill County High School as a Science and Biology Teacher in 1990 and served there for 27 years. She was elected as the Local and Negotiating Secretary for Barnet NASUWT (Teachers Union) in 2012 and supported many teachers in their employment disputes.  She was active in the community for several years before she was elected as the Councillor for Colindale in Barnet Council in 2014. She was re-elected in 2018. She was elected to the new ward Colindale South in 2022 along with Cllr. Sargeant and Cllr. Khalick.

Nagus has served in Children, Education and Safeguarding Committee, Community Leadership and Libraries Committee and Planning Committee. She is the Chair of Planning Committee A and West Area Committee at present and enjoying the challenges these roles post to her.

Nagus has been a school governor in three schools in Barnet. She is also the chair of Goldstar Federation and works tirelessly for the school community. She is very much involved with the Tamil Community who she is part of.

She lives in her ward with her husband. She has one son, daughter in law and two granddaughters. She likes walking, cooking and reading.

She is very proud to be the Mayor of London Borough of Barnet where she has lived since she moved to the UK. She feels it is a good borough to live and work. She will do everything she can to help the communities around her.