Born and raised in Ferryhill, educated in Newcastle, and back again: Curtis Bihari is only 27 years old and already serving his second term as mayor, write volunteer community journalist, Mona Schulze. He brings a fresh and unconventional perspective to the role: “As a Mayor, you should be doing stuff that’s fun for people.”
For many graduates, a degree is a ticket out of a small town. For Curtis Bihari, it was a reason to come back. Raised in Ferryhill, Bihari left to study Politics at Newcastle University, becoming one of only two people in his family to attend university. While many graduates leave small towns behind, Bihari chose to return to the place he calls home.
Family played a big part in that decision. His mother, Paula, runs the Ferryhill Sport and Education Centre. What began as helping out with social media and small projects soon turned into a deeper involvement.
Through his work at the centre, Bihari saw first hand the role it plays in local life. “You felt like you were having a good impact on the community,” he says. For him, the centre is more than a leisure facility — it is an essential part of the community: “You wouldn’t realise how much you missed it until it went. If that community centre was to close, a lot of people would be a lot worse off.”
Investing in Ferryhill’s next generation
Growing up in Ferryhill shaped his choice of mayor’s charity. Bihari has chosen to support Bright Futures Ferryhill CIC, an organisation that runs youth, after-school and holiday clubs. It also offers alternative educational provision and a community pantry that has already helped over 500 people since it opened.
“When I grew up, there wasn’t a lot of stuff in Ferryhill,” he says. “I want to make sure that the kids these days have access to great opportunities.”
For Bihari, Bright Futures represents what modern community support should look like: “If you want to get people off the streets and doing something, you’ve got to give them chances outside of Ferryhill, where they can go and explore and do things.”
Doing things differently
Bihari is candid about his first time as mayor. He was 24 years old, had only just completed one full year as a town councillor, and largely followed the established format.
Now, he has a different vision for his mayorship: “I’m a bit more experienced. I think I would do things a little bit differently, which is what I’m going to do for the year.”
The aim is clear: to raise as much money as possible through “stuff that people will enjoy, stuff that’s relevant to them and stuff that gets them involved.” Bottomless brunch and Bongo’s Bingo are just two of the ideas currently on the table.
However it’s not only about having fun, it’s about cohesion: “We live in a world now that’s incredibly divided. I think the mayor is a very important position because it can bring people together in ways that other positions can’t.”
A political man in a neutral role
Curtis Bihari does not pretend that the mayor’s neutral role comes naturally to him. Having worked in politics and for the local MP, he describes himself as “in nature very political”.
That raises an obvious question: How does someone with strong political instincts navigate a role that demands impartiality?
But he has found a way to manage it. “There’s a time and a place for one thing, and a time and a place for another,” he says. When he walks into the council chamber as mayor, the political hat comes off: “My job is to make sure everything’s done properly, make sure everything’s fair. I’m happy to tell both sides.”
His reasoning is clear. “The mayor should be politically neutral. You’re the civic head of the town — you should represent everybody, not just the people who support you.” Knowing exactly what the role is for, he says, is what makes the switch easier.
Full of ideas
There is plenty in the pipeline for Ferryhill. One of the Town Council’s main priorities right now is the regeneration of Broom Recreation Park, also known as King George V Playing Fields, with plans to secure funding for new and modernised play equipment.
Another highlight is the annual Party in the Park, which will take place next month in support of Armed Forces Day. The free event will feature live music, food stalls, inflatables, crazy golf and performances from a variety of stage acts including Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalists.
Alongside these upcoming projects, the Town Council has recently invested in improvements across the town, including the regeneration of the park in Dean Bank and upgrades to local cemeteries.
For Bihari, the goal is simple: keep doing good stuff for the community and make sure the people of Ferryhill know about it.
One message
There is one issue Bihari feels particularly strongly about: men’s mental health. Drawing on his own experiences, he hopes to use his platform as mayor to encourage more open conversations around the topic.
“I too have obviously struggled with my own mental health in the past, just to emphasise the point that it’s perfectly normal,” he says.
The statistics are stark: Men account for the vast majority of suicides in the UK. For Bihari, that is a reality that deserves far more attention.
Back in office and, as he puts it, “in a much better place now”, he wants to leave people with a simple message: “It’s okay to have those stumbling blocks — but ultimately it’s where you end up that matters.”
Mona Schulze
South West Durham News covering news across County Durham.
