The Lord Mayor is the first Citizen of the City of Oxford. The first recorded Mayor of Oxford is Laurence Kepeharme, 1205-1209 and Mayors’ names stretch in an unbroken line until 1962 when the dignity of Lord Mayor was granted to Oxford by Queen Elizabeth II. For a full list of past Lord Mayors of Oxford, please visit Wikipedia.
Lord Mayor, Deputy Lord Mayor and Sheriff of Oxford
- The Lord Mayor of Oxford is Councillor Louise Upton
- The Deputy Lord Mayor is Councillor Mike Rowley
- The Sheriff of Oxford is Councillor Andrew Gant
Lord Mayor of Oxford - Councillor Louise Upton
Louise was educated at Grove Comprehensive School, Market Drayton, Shropshire. She obtained a BA (Hons) in Biochemistry from the University of Oxford (New College) and a PhD in Cell Physiology from University College London. She lived and worked in Paris for 3 years before returning to the UK to continue working as a research scientist at the University of Oxford. She teaches neuroscience to medicine and psychology students. Louise is the Council’s Champion for Cycling.
Deputy Lord Mayor of Oxford - Councillor Mike Rowley
Mike Rowley is originally from Stafford but moved to Oxford in 1997 to study and now lives in Headington. He holds a law degree from Oxford University (Wadham College) and went on to study international Trade Union policy at Ruskin, and now works for Anneliese Dodds, MP for Oxford East. He has had the honour to represent Barton and Sandhills on Oxford City Council since October 2010. He was Lord Mayor in 2024-25.
Sheriff of Oxford - Councillor Andrew Gant
Andrew is a British composer, singer, author, teacher and Liberal Democrat politician. He was organist, choirmaster and composer at Her Majesty's Chapel Royal from 2000 to 2013, and has published several books on musical subjects. Gant serves as a Liberal Democrat Councillor on both Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council.
Lord Mayor's duties
The Lord Mayor represents the Council at civic and ceremonial events. He/she spends a great deal of time promoting the City, the key initiatives of the Council and supporting a wide range of Oxford based voluntary and other organisations.
The Lord Mayor generally carries out in excess of 300 engagements each year. These engagements cover a wide spectrum of events from high profile Royal visits and leading the City's annual Remembrance Sunday service, to small community group meetings and charity events.
The Lord Mayor also chairs meetings of full council.
The post of Lord Mayor of Oxford is different to that of the Mayor of London in that it is a ceremonial post carrying no political power. The political head of the City Council is the Leader of the Council.
How the Lord Mayor is chosen
The Lord Mayor must be a serving councillor and is chosen on length of service. The Lord Mayor is usually elected annually in May when all city councillors meet together at the Annual Meeting of Council. Their term of office is for one year, during which time he/she also continues their ward duties. Councillors can only serve as Lord Mayor once.
Due to the impact of the pandemic, the annual ceremony in May 2020 was cancelled. It was then agreed by full council that the terms of both the outgoing and incoming Lord Mayors would be extended to 18 months.
Mayoral Invitations
The Lord Mayor of Oxford is very keen to visit all aspects of the community during their term of office. If you have an event you would like the Lord Mayor to attend, please contact the Civic Office Holders' Executive Assistant or use the form below.
Send an invitation to the Lord Mayor
Unfortunately, due to demand, it is not possible for the Lord Mayor to attend every event to which he/she is invited. In these circumstances, it is generally possible for the Deputy Lord Mayor or the Sheriff of Oxford to attend instead.
Please note we require a minimum of four weeks notice of your event. Invitations received at short notice may not be considered. Thank you for your cooperation.
Lord Mayor's Engagements
The Lord Mayor’s Supported Organisations for 2025 to 2026
The Lord Mayor’s charities for this year are:
- The Gatehouse - offers free support for adults in Oxford who are homeless, vulnerably house or on low income
- OXSRAD - provides inclusive fitness and social activities
- TRAX - offers an alternative education option to young people
The Gatehouse has been supporting Oxford’s homeless community since 1988. The charity offers a wide range of free services and activities to adults who are homeless, vulnerably housed, on low or no income or simply looking for company and community from the drop-in community centre in Woodstock Road. It operates on an open-door basis, which means that everyone is welcome.
TRAX runs courses to engage young people aged 13 – 21 years old in Oxfordshire. The organisation aims to divert young people away from anti-social behaviour, crime and negative activities. It encourages the personal, social and educational development of all young people who come to the project so they can become positive and active members of their communities.
OXSRAD is a unique facility, providing sports and recreation facilities for 400 disabled children and adults. It is located on the east of Oxford and serves many disadvantaged communities. OXSRAD also has many able-bodied members who use the facilities, and it is this integration of disabled and able-bodied that is the heart of the organisation.
Make a Donation
Donations towards the Lord Mayor’s fundraising efforts are always welcomed and there are many ways you can pledge your support.
Text to Donate
Text the word LORDMAYOR followed by the amount you wish to give to 70085 e.g. ‘LORDMAYOR 10’ to donate £10.
Texts cost your donation amount plus one standard rate message and you’ll be opting in to hear more about our work and fundraising via telephone and SMS. If you’d like to donate but do not wish to receive marketing communications, text LORDMAYORNOINFO followed by your donation amount to 70085.
Donate via BACS
Donations can be made via bank transfer to Account Number 61173455, Sort Code 08-90-38.
Send us a Cheque
Cheques should be made payable to Lord Mayor of Oxford Charity Trust and can be posted to Civic Office, Town Hall, St Aldate’s, Oxford, OX1 1BX.
Thank you for your support.
Contact Us
If you would like to help the Lord Mayor of Oxford in this work or get involved in any of these charities or donate money to them please contact us.
Contact the Civic Office
Address: Civic Office,Town Hall,
St Aldate’s,
Oxford,
OX1 1BX
