Thursday is not only a general election. It is a local one, too. Which is why Green Party members and supporters delivered nearly 5000 leaflets (on recycled paper, of course) to the households of Wallisdown and Winton West over the bank holiday weekend. It’s my ward and so I was happy to join them, although my muscles are saying otherwise now after nine hours of pavement pounding. It also gave me the chance to meet a few likeminded people and get to know two of the prospective councillors standing for election, both of whom live within the ward.
Chris Pane has lived in the area for almost two years. Local connections helped him make the decision that Bournemouth would be a great place to raise his young daughter. He is currently studying for a degree in computer science with the Open University and uses his skills as the Digital Democracy researcher for the Bournemouth Green Party. Since moving to the area he has become involved with the Slades Farm community garden, a project started by Transition Bournemouth to encourage conservation activities. His proudest moment this year was speaking at the Green Party conference alongside Natalie Bennett and Lily Cole. As a local voter, what I see is someone who is excited and enthusiastic about not just the Green Party, but about politics, too.
Mathew Burgess has recently moved into the area from Devon bringing with him eight years of experience as a Parish councillor and four as a District councillor. A Green Party member since 1985, he was actively researching and supporting Green initiatives such as recycling food waste long before we had our little brown bins. He was also involved in helping his local council find ways to reduce landfill waste and increase recycling. He believes in supporting local businesses over the multinationals as profits are returned to the local economy. He also supports increasing the provision of local bus services and improvement of infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists. As a cyclist, he has my vote.
At the end of our work we were invited in for a very welcome cup of tea by a couple proudly displaying a Vote Green poster in their front window. Over tea, the subject of whether the leaflets should have included pictures of the prospective councillors was raised. A number of the supporters agreed that it helps people feel a connection even if they don’t actually get to meet their councillor. So, if you received one of our lovely leaflets at the weekend but were left wondering what the candidates look like, the impromptu photo shoot taken at the end of our working day should rectify that.
Rachel Williams
