Councillor Corner

Cllr. Ms Lauren Heard


I have lived in Neath all my life and attended Melin Juniors primary school, followed by Cwrt Sart Comprehensive School. I have recently graduated from my master’s degree in Education Policy, which I studied at Cardiff University.

I joined the Labour Party in 2017, since then I have taken part in many campaign and canvassing sessions, as well as being a part of the Cardiff Labour Students society whilst studying at university.

This is my first year being a Town Councillor for the Cefn Saeson Ward, after being elected back in May 2022. I am looking forward to working with the other Town Councillors to serve the community and make a positive difference.

I currently work as a Parliamentary Assistant for Christina Rees MP, which allows me to engage with real-life issues of the constituents of Neath.

I enjoy doing community work, which is what influenced me into being a Councillor. Over the last few years, I have been doing collections for the homeless and participated in sleep-outs to raise money for homeless charities.

I like to spend my spare time either paddle boarding, cold-water swimming, baking or spending time with my friends and family. I also learned sign language during lockdown, which has allowed me to share sign videos to schools across Neath and on social media.