Manjula Sood, MBE, is a British politician, community service participant and former educator. In 2008, Sood became the first Asian female Lord Mayor in the United Kingdom.
Early life
Sood immigrated to the United Kingdom in 1970. She became in 1973 the first female Asian primary school teacher in Leicester, England. She taught there for almost twenty years before retiring because of ill health. During her time as a teacher, she introduced multiculturalism in the education sector.
Political career
Manjula Sood was first elected after the death of her councillor husband. Paul Sood was one of the first Asians in Britain to become a councillor. He was elected as a Leicestershire County Councillor in 1982 and served Leicester for almost 14 years before his death in 1996. Manjula stood in the by-election for her husband's former seat and won. In May 2008, Sood became the first Asian female Lord Mayor in the United Kingdom, in over 800 years of the Lord Mayor title. Sood ceased to be a Councillor in 2019.
Current positions
Trustee and an Executive Director for the Leicester Council of Faiths, which promotes a better understanding among religions
Member of the Standard and Audit Committee of Leicester City Council, safeguarding the Audit Commission's Code of Conduct, which elected members of the council and council officials must abide by
Member of Children and Young Persons scrutiny committee
Trustee for the North Memorial Homes in Leicester, a charity created for war veterans
In July 2008, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by Leicester University. Manjula was awarded an MBE by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II for services to the community in Leicester in June 2009. Manjula is the Sport England Regional Champion for East Midlands.
Served as the High Bailiff of Leicester from May 2007
NRI Institute Excellence Award 2008 for Contribution to Politics
Labour Party Merit Award Winner for contribution to the Labour Party 2004. The first Asian women to win.
Red Hot Curry's top 300 most influential Asian women in the UK 2002
Triangle Media Group Global Award for outstanding contribution to local politics 2006
Awarded an honorary award by Leicestershire Asian Business Association for assistance to small businesses
Benchmarks
Leicester City's only female Asian elected councillor, a position held since 1996
Has partaken in the last three International Women's Day, speaking to large audiences on the challenges and barriers women face in society and the progress they have thus made since the turn of the last century.
Vice Chair of Equal Opportunities, Education and Social Services for Leicester City Council
Chaired Leicester City Council's Health Commission
Governor for Leicester College ; as the only female ethnic minority governor, she worked with the principal, the governing body and the executive to make certain equal opportunity policies were in place and being applied.
Governor for the Trinity Hospital in Leicester; primarily responsible for raising concerns and managing the needs of elderly residents as well as ensuring spending was within the assigned budget.
Community and other activities
Mentors children and teenagers encouraging them to overcome anxieties and fears and to deal with academic related issues
