From Sullivan to the Mayor’s Chain: Q&A with Alistair Cathcart, Former Mayor of Ards and North Down

As his term as Mayor of Ards and North Down Borough Council comes to a close, Sullivan alumnus Councillor Alistair Cathcart reflects on a year of civic service, community pride, and personal milestones—including getting married! We caught up with Alistair to hear about his time at Sullivan, his path into politics, and what advice he’d give the next generation of leaders.

What are your fondest memories of your time at Sullivan Upper?

“I had a wonderful time at Sullivan. I had great friends and thoroughly enjoyed going to school. Apart from the time that I got my appendix removed, I think I had a near 100% record of attendance.

I enjoyed playing rugby and I remember playing football at every opportunity during break and lunch and having to sprint to get back to class on time.

I just remember a great learning environment. I grew a lot and it gave me a great foundation for my onward education and career.”

Were there any particular experiences or teachers at Sullivan that helped shape your future path?

“I had a number of terrific teachers at Sullivan. In particular during my A-levels I had two great teachers. Mr Thom in Geography was so interesting to listen to and to absorb knowledge from. Mr Armstrong, in History and Politics, helped push me in my two best subjects. He knew exactly how to play me.

Some people need an arm around the shoulder and some need a kick up the backside. I was the latter! Mr Armstrong told my mother that I was failing History and I was furious and worked hard to prove him wrong, achieving an A. Only realising afterwards that this was exactly his plan all along!”

What led you to pursue a career in public service and eventually stand for Council?

“I was always driven towards public service. I have had a few roles in the private sector but I never had the same passion as I do working to improve society and my local community on a daily basis.

I didn’t have a particular role in mind when I left university. I had considered the police and civil service but both had recruitment freezes at the time, so I came back home and started work experience with Peter Weir MLA in Bangor whilst I considered options. I enjoyed the role so much that I stayed on, and a few years later I was offered the opportunity to run for Council.

Twelve years later, I am still a Councillor. I love representing my hometown of Bangor and working to secure its regeneration and improvement.”

What have been some of the highlights and challenges of your year as Mayor?

“It was a real privilege to serve as Mayor of Ards and North Down.

In terms of highlights from my Mayoral year—I have to be very careful because I got married during my term, so of course, I am legally obliged to say that getting married to Ashley was the highlight of the year. The highlight of all my years, of course!

What was lovely was that my wife was able to have a role with me as Mayoress. Not many jobs allow you to bring along your spouse. We have memories that will last a lifetime.

Some special memories include the Olympic homecoming with two gold medallists from the Borough, with the huge celebrations in Ards and at Bangor Aurora. Scaling Bangor Castle in an aerial appliance during Freedom of the Borough for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service was amazing.

With Ards and North Down being such a maritime Borough, the Mayoress and I have been in every shape of a boat. Having dolphins alongside our sailing boat in Groomsport was magical. Everything involving primary school children was fun and unpredictable!

There are of course memories that I won’t forget, as they were an incredible honour. The Somme trip—laying wreaths on behalf of the Borough at Menin Gate, Ulster Tower and the Somme Memorial—as well as our Remembrance Day events, beacon lightings, and VE80 commemorations.

As a Bangorian, getting the legal agreement signed for the Queen’s Parade development project was a key milestone in the regeneration of the city.

What I will take away most was meeting so many fantastic people—community groups, church groups, charities and volunteers that we are blessed to have here. People motivated either through their faith and/or community spirit to improve this place on a daily basis, those who don’t moan and demand of others but ask, ‘What can I do to help?’ Because of them, there are so many positive things happening in our Borough.

During my term, I wanted to focus on recognising those community champions. The Borough’s Civic Awards were reinstated and I introduced my Mayor’s Recognition Certificate to say thank you to those often silent warriors. I also held a number of Mayoral receptions for organisations, community groups and individuals who do so much for others.

In terms of challenges, the biggest challenge is not having enough time to do everything. There is so much demand on the Mayor and often diary clashes. It’s disappointing to have to decline invites, but thankfully there is a Deputy Mayor to help.

Another issue is that the Mayor has no direct powers—it’s more of a civic role. A Mayor can often be blamed for things outside his or her control, but that’s part of the leadership role—you work in partnership with others to push things forward.”

Looking back, what advice would you give to current Sullivan pupils who might be interested in politics or leadership roles?

“Well firstly, they’ve made a good start in going to Sullivan. The school gave me a great foundation. I acquired a lot of skills that I still use today. I remember being taught that the most important word when making an argument is the word ‘however’. It shows you have considered all views but have determined what you are presenting is the best way forward. I continue to use this technique.

What I would say to anyone is: be active. Volunteer in your local community. Build up your experience and your CV. Most political parties are desperate to see young people getting involved and will open their arms—so do get involved, as it can open up paths. I started off undertaking work experience, ten years later I was Mayor.

To anyone interested in politics or leadership, I’d say—find out what you want to achieve and plot a course to get there. It’s important to have clear goals and objectives.”

Councillor Alistair Cathcart’s mayoral term may have come to an end, but his commitment to public service and community leadership is far from over. From school football pitches to the civic stage, his journey is an inspiring one—rooted in Sullivan, and led by purpose.

Click here to stay up to date with the incredible work Alistair Cathcart is doing for his constituency