David Olusoga and Mick Henry announced as Freemen of the Borough of Gateshead

David Olusoga and Mick Henry have been announced as Freemen of the Borough of Gateshead

Geordie historian and broadcaster David Olusoga and former council leader Mick Henry are now Freemen of the Borough of Gateshead.

The Freedom of the Borough is the highest honour the council can bestow and has roots in ancient Rome.

Mr Olusoga is being recognised for his contribution to academia and Mr Henry for his 33 years as a local councillor. The honours were officially announced at full council on Thursday 24 November .

Mr Olusoga arrived in Gateshead from Nigeria with his family aged five. Despite his encounters with racism as a child and teenager which eventually forced his family to move he said he still has a deep love for the region.

Mr Olusoga said: "It is wonderful to be honoured by my hometown this way. I'm from a generation who were told to get on our bikes.

"A generation too many of whom had to leave the North East for work. But like most of that generation, I am a reluctant exile and remain deeply connected to the region in which I was brought up."

The historian came to national attention with a series of successful television shows and documentaries including; A House Through Time, Civilisations and Our NHS: A Hidden History. He was made an OBE in 2019.

Mick Henry was a councillor for Saltwell for 30 years and spent the last 14 of those as leader of the council.

During his tenure, he oversaw the opening of the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Arts and Sage Gateshead. He is also a senior lecturer in photography at Northumbria University.

Mr Henry said: "This honour means so much to me and I will always treasure it. As the leader of the council, I often spoke about the 'Gateshead Family', and I can't overstate how grateful I am to have been, and remain, a part of the family.

"The people of Gateshead allowed me, and those I worked alongside, to develop a vision for the borough and strive towards making it a reality. I'm deeply rooted in Gateshead, as is my family, past and present.

"I'm fiercely proud of those roots and I cannot imagine any honour that could mean more to me or to my parents, who were also Labour councillors, than being awarded the Freedom of Gateshead."

A ceremony celebrating the new Freeman will take place in 2023.

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