By Jenny Barwise

Last updated 12:27, Wednesday, 30 July 2008

Copeland Council leader Elaine Woodburn is an inspirational woman.

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Becoming a councillor at the age of 28, council leader at 36 and having surgery to amputate her leg last year, she has no plans to slow down.

The down-to-earth 41-year-old from Egremont stood as a councillor because she was always moaning about the council and her mum, fellow councillor Margaret Woodburn, challenged her to join the authority and see if she could do any better.

And better she did. After only eight years as ward councillor for Egremont North, Elaine was selected as leader.

Speaking from her office at the council headquarters in the heart of Whitehaven, Elaine said: “I didn’t come on the council and set myself a goal and thought I would be the leader in 10 years time, but I think it needed fresh blood.

“I always put my heart into getting the best for Copeland and as long as I continue to do that, I think I am the best person for the job.

“Nobody knows what’s around the corner.”

Starting work at 8am and regularly finishing at 9pm, Elaine says that a big part of her life is her job.

“I think that is just the way I work .I do more than I should and I do worry about things. Some people can just go home and turn off and other people just can’t do it.

“I think to do the job, what’s needed to do it right, I don’t think you can turn off because you’re either having to go out at meetings or read papers for the following day.”

Last November Elaine had a major operation to amputate her right leg, but this has not affected her career or life - and she even jokes about the loss.

“We had to get the man who does the maintenance here the other day to stick my leg on and we had to add it onto his list that he can now fix legs,” laughed Elaine.

She suffered from a chronic infection of the bone and bone marrow for 20 years which led to osteomyelitis and thought she would need two operations on the leg, but said it healed brilliantly after just one and was back at work in April, and she now has to fit physio through at Carlisle into her hectic schedule.

“I have changed because I have had to manage myself a bit better because my driving has changed. I have to give myself more time to get to places, but the majority of the time it is no different.

“It didn’t affect my brain, and it gave me a couple of months to sit back and see what was happening and gave me renewed vigour to get on with the job.I see myself as having less of a disability than beforehand.

“Even though it was traumatic to go through, it has made me even stronger.”

Elaine does not like to put herself on a pedestal and she relates to the citizens of Copeland, understanding their concerns.

“I can understand the frustration that maybe the bin has been missed and it is sometimes difficult when we have to defend the council.

“People have got to understand that we all live here and want the best services. We have changed and do provide better services, but nobody is perfect.

“It is amazing if somebody rings you up and just says thank you for doing something. It gives you a big boost.”

One of the highlights of her time on Copeland Council has been when the authority moved to its newly-built premises – The Copeland Centre – at Barracks Lane from the old building in Catherine Street.

Underneath all of the politics, Elaine is just the ‘girl next door’ relating to the people of Copeland and always working on their behalf to achieve the best for the borough.

Following in her parents’ footsteps, Margaret (who Elaine says she only ever gets to boss around at council meetings) and the late Ken Woodburn, she said that she thinks she will always have a role to play at the council, whether it be at the front or behind the scenes.

She added: “I don’t think anybody has got the leader’s job for a lifetime. Change is needed as circumstances change.

“I am only here for as long as the community wants me.”

JBarwise@cngroup.co.uk