Black Mountain

Paul Doherty was elected to represent the Black Mountain DEA in the 2023 Local Government Election. He served as Deputy Lord Mayor during 2025/26.

He is the SDLP Representative for West Belfast and was the Party’s West Belfast candidate in the 2022 Assembly election campaign.

Paul previously spent 14 years working in the Royal Hospital and is the founder of the community led charity, Foodstock. Through the work of Foodstock, Paul and his team of volunteers work to tackle poverty in communities while also providing practical support to over 500 households per week, providing food supplies and assisting with heat and energy costs.

Following the opening of the Community Solidarity Hub in West Belfast in 2022, Paul has also initiated Asylum Seeker and Refugee Language Classes, Employability Support, Benefits and Housing Advice Clinics, a preloved school uniform scheme as well as providing people with access to healthy eating initiatives and empowering people to grow their own vegetables.