Sheffield, a historic industrial city in northern England renowned for its steel heritage and academic excellence, marked a new chapter in 2025. Safiya Saeed, a Somali-born Muslim woman, officially took office as the Lord Mayor of Sheffield, becoming the first hijab-wearing woman to hold this ceremonial yet symbolic position in a city of over 550,000 residents.
Her appointment represents more than a milestone it reflects the growing diversity and inclusivity within British local politics.
Safiya’s journey began in 1985 when she arrived in the UK as a young girl fleeing conflict in Somalia with no knowledge of English. Her early years, spent navigating the challenges of life as a refugee and minority, deeply shaped her commitment to social justice. Inspired by her father, Abdi Saeed Farreh, a respected community figure. Safiya grew into a changemaker long before entering politics.
Safiya is widely known in Sheffield for her grassroots initiatives. She founded Reach Up Youth, an organization dedicated to supporting at-risk young people in Burngreave, an area affected by social inequality and gang violence. Safiya has empowered young people to transform their lives through mentorship, leadership programs, and sports. One flagship initiative, Big Brother Burngreave, pairs young men with mentors and role models to steer them away from gang culture and toward education and civic participation.
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Safiya is also the creator of Sisterhood, a sports and fitness initiative aimed at helping Muslim women engage in sports and build confidence. The program directly tackles the low participation rates of ethnic minority women in physical activity, as highlighted by Sport England. For Safiya, empowering women is not a secondary issue, it’s central to building more equitable, healthy, and resilient communities.
While the Lord Mayor role is largely ceremonial, Safiya uses the platform to amplify underrepresented voices. Her leadership comes at a time when Muslims make up over 10% of Sheffield’s population, according to the 2021 UK census. Her presence at the helm signals a broader acceptance and recognition of the contributions of minority communities to the city’s development.
She is also active in promoting interfaith dialogue, regularly engaging with Christian, Muslim, Sikh, and other religious communities to foster unity and social cohesion in Sheffield, a city increasingly defined by multiculturalism.
Safiya is not the first Somali-British figure to serve as Lord Mayor of Sheffield. In 2018, Magid Magid, also of Somali descent and representing the Green Party, made headlines for his bold, progressive, and unorthodox approach to public office. Safiya continues this legacy with a more grassroots, community-focused style of leadership, grounded in listening, inclusion, and lived experience.
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Safiya Saeed is more than a political figurehead. She represents a transformative shift in local governance, where leadership is not reserved for the elite but emerges organically from communities that have long been marginalized. Her story is one of resilience, empowerment, and social change.
At a time when many societies wrestle with discrimination and division, Sheffield’s choice reflects a hopeful turn toward a politics that is human-centered, inclusive, and grounded in empathy.
Safiya Saeed is not just the Mayor of Sheffield, she is a symbol of what modern leadership can and should look like.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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