Will Glendinning is a former

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

. He was born in Portadown, the brother of

Robin Robin may refer to: Animals * Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae * Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), including: **European robin (''Erithacus rubecula'') **Bush-robin **Forest rob ...

, and a great-grandchild of

Robert Glendinning Robert Graham Glendinning PC (5 April 1844 – 8 June 1928) was a businessman and the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Antrim from 1906 to 1910. He was director of Glendinning. M'Leish and Co., Ltd.; Larabeg Weaving Co., Ltd.; Co. Down We ...

. Glendinning attended

Rockport School Rockport School is an independent day and boarding school for boys and girls from 2.5 years to 18 years in the British Public School tradition. It is situated in of woodland on the shore of Belfast Lough in Craigavad, near Holywood, County ...

Holywood Holy Wood or Holywood may refer to: Places * Holywood, County Down, a town and townland in Northern Ireland ** Holywood, County Down (civil parish), a civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland ** Holywood railway station (Northern Ireland) * ...

, Co Down. Glendinning joined the

Ulster Defence Regiment The Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) was an infantry regiment of the British Army established in 1970, with a comparatively short existence ending in 1992. Raised through public appeal, newspaper and television advertisements,Potter p25 their offi ...

in the early 1970s and served in Armagh. In

1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...

, he was elected as an

Alliance Party of Northern Ireland The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI), or simply Alliance, is a liberal and centrist political party in Northern Ireland. As of the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election, it is the third-largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly, ...

(APNI) councillor for

Belfast Area F Area F was one of the eight district electoral areas (DEA) which existed in Belfast, Northern Ireland from 1973 to 1985. Containing the inner parts of west and south Belfast, the district elected six members to Belfast City Council and contained ...

, which covered the Lower Falls, Donegall Road and Markets areas. He held his seat in

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

, and was also narrowly elected at the

1982 Northern Ireland Assembly election The 1982 Northern Ireland Assembly elections were held on 20 October 1982 in an attempt to re-establish devolution and power-sharing in Northern Ireland. Although the Northern Ireland Assembly officially lasted until 1986 (and was seen as being ...

for West Belfast. "Area F" was abolished in

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

but Glendinning won a council seat in the Lower Falls Electoral Area, with his wife Pip succeeding in gaining a seat for APNI in the adjacent Upper Falls Area. He and his wife both resigned their council seats in 1987 due to the birth of their daughter. He became the Chief Executive of the Community Relations Council, before becoming a consultant on "

cultural diversity Cultural diversity is the quality of diverse or different cultures, as opposed to monoculture, the global monoculture, or a homogenization of cultures, akin to cultural evolution. The term "cultural diversity" can also refer to having different cu ...

, community relations and transition from conflict" establishing the peace-building charity Diversity Challenges. He has served as Coordinator since 2002 Diversity Challenges worked with culturally specific groups including the Loyal Orders Bands, the GAA, and others to promote change to recognise the increasing cultural diversity."Ex-Alliance man to polish Orange image"
''

Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...

'', 21 March 2002. He was chairperson of the Northern Ireland Asscoation of Citizens Advice Bureaux in the 1990s. He also served on the board of Community Technical Aid. He served on the board and was chairperson of Newry and Mourne CAB until its merger with Down CAB Thorufg Diversity Challenges. He is on the Erupopen Board of the International Coalition of the Sites of Conscience(https://www.sitesofconscience.org/en/home/)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Glendinning, Will Year of birth missing (living people) Living people People educated at Rockport School Alliance Party of Northern Ireland politicians Members of Belfast City Council Northern Ireland MPAs 1982–1986 Ulster Defence Regiment soldiers Alliance Party of Northern Ireland councillors