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Council Business

Become a Parish Councillor – we need you!

We currently have three vacancies on our Parish Council and we are looking for people who are interested in joining. Our newest Parish Councillor, Rachel Sampson, gives an insight below as to why she decided to put herself forward for co-option, and what her experience has been like so far.

Published: 28 May 2024

your parish needs you

About me

My name is Rachel, I am 33 years old and I moved to Welland in 2022. I joined the parish council in March 2024, after seeing an article in the local newsletter calling for people to join.

Why I became a Parish Councillor

I have never been a Parish Councillor before – it’s certainly not something that I had ever thought about or had planned! I don’t have a background in politics and didn’t even really know what the role of a Councillor entailed before I contacted David (our parish clerk) to find out more. I was a bit worried about what the time commitments would be, as I work long days, and I was also unsure whether I would have anything to meaningfully contribute.

So with all those reservations, why did I decide to put myself forward in the end? Well, mainly because I wanted to be able to get more involved with the community in the village I now live in, and because I wanted to be able to make a positive difference. I wanted to ensure that newer residents and young(ish) working age adults were represented when facilities and activities were being developed for the community. I wanted to be able to get involved with helping out at events such as the Summer Bash. I was heavily influenced by reading about the appointment of Barbara (our Community Development Coordinator), and thinking that I might be able to work alongside her to think of new ways to get people together. As a newcomer in the village, it isn’t always easy to know how to meet new people, and I’d love to be involved in the creation of new social events and ways to foster real community spirit.

My experience so far

I’ve now been a Councillor for two months and have been part of two and a half council meetings (if you count the one where I joined!). I found them a bit nerve-wracking at first as there were terms and abbreviations that I didn’t know, and some background knowledge to certain discussions that I didn’t have. However the other Councillors and the Clerk were very welcoming, and very happy to update me when needed. I quickly discovered that I did have things to contribute, and I was given plenty of space for my voice to be heard.

When I joined, the council were looking at developing a new website. I offered to take a lead role in researching the options of website providers, and in transferring and updating our online content. As a regular social media user, I also joined the admin team for the Facebook page. I have since also created our new WhatsApp channel, as a way to keep people up to date.

I discovered that as well as the monthly council meeting, there was the opportunity to join ‘working groups’. These are sub-groups of the main council who meet to discuss certain aspects of council workload (such as Highways and Footpaths) in more detail, before reporting back to the main council meeting. As well as the Communications group (which made sense, given that I was involved in the website), I also joined the events group (to help with the Summer Bash), and something called the ‘S106 group’, who consider ways to use funding from the building of new housing developments to benefit the community (such as the creation of new facilities, playparks, etc). These are not compulsory, but I have enjoyed having more opportunities to get involved.

Thinking of joining?

Usually, Parish Councillors get elected every four years. However at the moment, we are three years from the next election and we have three vacant seats. Therefore there is the option to be ‘co-opted’ to the parish council, like I was. This essentially means that you can be voted in by the other councillors, without an official ‘election’. If you are interested, I would suggest you come along to one of the monthly meetings (dates can be found on our website) to see what it’s like.

I thought it might be helpful to give some information below, that answers some of the questions that I had when I joined.

What is a Parish Council?

The Parish Council is the level of government closest to the community, making decisions on behalf of the people of the parish. Parish councils are responsible for representing their community, delivering local services, and looking after the wellbeing of its community.

What does a Parish Councillor do?

By becoming a parish councillor, you could help to make a difference in your local community. Some examples of decisions and actions that involve the parish council include:

– The creation of community spaces. Over the past few years, the parish council have commissioned the building of the playpark, the outdoor gym, and have purchased the community orchard for the enjoyment of everybody in the village.

– Reviewing planning applications and contributing a local voice. We don’t make the final decisions, but we do provide the district council with relevant local information and will be highlighting the importance of the Welland Neighbourhood Plan in their decision making process.

– Being involved in the planning of events, such as the upcoming Welland Summer Bash.

– Managing our open spaces, footpaths, bins, benches and speed signs. We have recently bought two new responsive speed signs, helping to reduce dangerous driving through the village, and we are in the process of upgrading our footpaths.

– Liaising with our district councillors about matters of concern in the village.

How much of a commitment is it?

In terms of time commitments, the parish council meets once a month on a Monday evening at 7:30pm. The meeting usually lasts around 2-2.5 hours. Beyond this, some time to read email communications between meetings is required, and you may choose to be involved in some of the ‘working groups’ that also meet intermittently.

 

Still thinking of joining?

We are a friendly bunch who care deeply about Little Malvern and Welland. We would love new faces on the council. No experience is necessary and you will be well supported. If you want to find out more about being a councillor please feel free to reach out to any of us via our email addresses, particularly our chair at mick.davies@littlemalvernandwelland-pc.gov.uk or me at rachel.sampson@littlemalvernandwelland-pc.gov.uk . Alternatively, come along to one of our meetings and have a chat with us at the end!

 

 

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