Published: Wednesday 27 May 2026
Councillor Janet Evans has officially been elected as the new Mayor of Kensington and Chelsea for 2026-27, following her swearing-in at the Annual Council Meeting on Wednesday 27 May.
Joining her in the mayoral team, Councillor Evans appointed Councillor Abdullahi Nur as Deputy Mayor. Councillor Nur previously represented Golborne ward from 2022 to 2026 and now serves as councillor for Dalgarno ward.
Also appointed were:
- Ms Cordelia Evans as Mayoress
- Mr Gerard Hargreaves as the Mayor’s Consort
- The Revd Prebendary Jenny Welsh, Vicar of St Mary The Boltons, as Mayoral Chaplain
Mayor announces charity partnership
As part of the tradition for incoming mayors, Councillor Evans announced that her chosen mayoral charity for the year will be the Kensington + Chelsea Foundation.
The Foundation supports vital local services and community projects across the borough, helping more than 18,000 residents each year.
The new Mayor of Kensington of Kensington, Councillor Janet Evans, said:
“It is the honour of a lifetime to have been elected as Mayor by my peers. I look forward to representing all our communities across the length and breadth of the borough.
“My focus will be on further supporting our children and young people to thrive, as well as making sure our older residents feel respected, connected and never alone and recognising the enormous contribution they have made, and continue to make, to our communities.
“I am delighted to be partnering with the Kensington + Chelsea Foundation, a local charity working across the entire borough to support vital services that improve the lives and livelihoods of our most vulnerable residents.
“I look forward to raising further awareness of their exceptional work, which supports projects and services that provide a lifeline to those in crisis.”
Victoria Steward Todd, Director of the Kensington + Chelsea Foundation, added:
“We are absolutely delighted and honoured to have been chosen as the Mayor’s Charity. The Mayor shares our belief in the power of local giving and the transformational impact that grassroots community projects can have.
“We look forward to a year of celebrating community and working together to benefit residents across the borough.”
A longstanding commitment to the borough
Councillor Evans was first elected to Kensington and Chelsea Council in May 2018 and has since been re-elected in both the 2022 and 2026 local council elections, representing Courtfield ward.
During her time on the Council, she has served as:
- Chair of the Licensing Committee (2022–2026)
- Chair of the Family Services Select Committee (2019–2022)
She has also been a member of the:
- Housing and Communities Select Committee
- Schools Forum
- Planning Applications Committee
In addition, Councillor Evans has served as a governor at the Royal Marsden Hospital.
Originally graduating summa cum laude in early childhood education from New York University, Councillor Evans later earned a Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law School.
Kensington and Chelsea has been her home since 1989, where she has raised her family, built a business and become deeply involved in the local community.