I met with Tess from Me2Club today, a great charity that help children with additional needs and disabilities access mainstream activities. They support children across Wokingham and are looking at expanding into Reading, really looking forward to seeing the work they do
A version of this appeared in my work staff newsletter, I’ve adapted it slightly. Regular readers will probably not find this informative as they have probably picked up what I do and most irregular readers may find it a bit long and self indulgent. However for anyone who is interested …
http://www.viddler.com/player/fea53523/I often get asked about the benefits of an accountancy qualification in my political life and conversely about why I am involved in politics in my professional life. The Chartered Institute of Management accountants recently interviewed me and also asked me to discuss the benefits of CIMA in a recession. I guess …
I’ve inevitably been in the Civic Centre more than usual the last couple of weeks, to make sure I’m both up to date with what is happening in my new portfolio and also to ensure that council staff know what my priorities are. We’re working on some really important stuff …
I’ve written a guest post for the excellent, Reading based ‘BabyRambles’ blog. I deliberately don’t talk about my family that much here, so it was a nice opportunity to talk a bit about my personal life. This picture goes with it well.
I was nominated last night by the Labour party and group to be the portfolio holder for Neighbourhoods and Housing. This means that if we take control of the council I will be in the cabinet otherwise I will be shadowing the cabinet member. It’s a new role that combines …
Summary: January and February – a long time ago, but I still thought it would be worth putting this up. There has been so much happening, and I’m sorry for not doing a separate January report, but I was literally about to draft it when I received the phone call …
Today has been a mix of highs and lows. A low is the proposed swingeing cuts that were published by the council on Friday. Along with Cllr Chris Maskell and Paul Gittings I met with council staff this morning (still can’t get used to calling them ‘officers’) to discuss the …
Summary: December has, as predicted been an odd month for my council work and have had some reduced activity compared, say with November. However I have still had some casework and also in the last week of the month launched a campaign to save the work of the Whitley Excellence …
Summary: November has been a busy, but productive month. It has been affected at the very end by a family bereavement. There has been a lot going on in the ward, and I have felt I have spent less time in the Civic centre and more time out and about, …
Summary: A busy month. some local positives overshadowed by the national news. Council work: Full council this month was I have to say a largely disappointing affair with a lot of bad temper and unnecessary amendments of motions for political point scoring. I kept out of the debates that caused …
Summary:September has been busy (and so has October, which is why this report is so late). I have managed to get some good news for some residents but overall things are not looking so positive. Council work:I attended environment scrutiny panel at which we examined some important items and …
The latest Avaaz petition is close to my heart. Please consider signing it. They get noticed and get results. UPDATE 22nd September – link fixed. Thanks to John Stumbles!
Summary:A quiet month but have used it to ensure that I’m on top of things happening in the ward and to get up to date with some key issues that are coming up. Council work:There were no formal council meetings or committee in August. However I did have a very …
This isn’t meant as a formal report but I do want to keep constituents in the loop. This is a much longer post than usual but I hope of interest to local constituents! Council work: Formal council committees that that I am a member of and met in June are …
Long post but I want to keep Whitley residents informed about what I’m doing as a councillor rather than disappearing into a black hole. Started with finishing off even more paperwork over the weekend! I am actually going to get back out and about this weekend hopefully… There was also …
Have been back at work this week and as busy as ever, before it quietens down for me at the end of May. I’ve also been catching up on my neglected extended family, including a trip to Basildon Park with my parents. Lovely weather and the bluebells were certainly out. …
I don’t usually mention people I buy stuff from but just wanted to give a plug common wheels. Joe and I have just joined this car club and tried it for the first time yesterday for a trip to visit an elderly relative (this particular trip is very tricky by train). …
I’ve been elected as Whitley ward councillor. Some very varied results across the country. Locally of course I’m really disappointed by the General election result but surprised and pleased by the Reading borough council elections. Net impact is Labour are still on 19, Conservatives have lost a seat while the …
Haven’t posted in the last week or so not because I’ve nothing to say but because I am too busy! It’s all good stuff, whether following up individual concerns, meeting with a housing association to raise common concerns, working (got to pay the bills!), helping out at a schools event, …
It was great to see so many members, MPs and union members to Whitley (Hilton Hotel on Kennet Island to be exact). There was a really positive atmosphere and good discussions. Quite a few of them also came out to knock on doors and chat to Whitley residents and I …
As anyone who has been looking at Whitley News will have seen there is some great news on the funding for new council houisng to be built on the old site of the Avenue school: 40 units of top quality homes for over-55s. My opinion is that council owned and …
I’ve been working with councillors on a new website for Whitley ward. I’m hoping it will be really useful to residents: there is section on local news, a calendar of events (which I’m hoping residents will want to add events to), updates on Reading news and weather, useful links and …
It’s now over six months since I started helping and working with Whitley’s local councillors. Its been a privilege to get more involved in the community. For example I’ve helped with a petition to get a safer route to school in front of the Northumberland Avenue/Whitley Wood Road shops, …
I’m currently taking a week off. Thought that this set of photos was quite striking, worth a look: This one links the two meanings of Christmas: a Santa balloon in the Church of the nativity
I’m sitting in my office in the town centre getting excited about the snow. Hurrah! Went to a Kennet Island residents’ meeting yesterday. Was very constructive and positive I thought. Lots of hard work being done by the residents to get a more active community spirit.
Have been to a couple of events about domestic violence in the last week. Last Thursday went to a candlelit vigil on the high-street that aimed to emphasise the problem, which got a good response, although the wind had a negative impact on the candlelit part of the vigil! On …
I spotted this and thought what a shame. I obviously want people to vote for me when I stand for the council but even more important is that people can vote at all! I am a sad individual and really like being able to vote, it reminds me of the …
Last week on Helston Gardens I was asked by 3 young girls “What’s the Labour party? Does it mean when women have babies”. The conversation continued: “Labour means work”. “My Dad works”, “My mum AND my dad work”. “Well the Labour party was set up so that people who do …
I don’t normally post about going out and about talking to people on their doorsteps but to me that’s the only way you can know enough to be a good local representative. It’s also something that I enjoy! As a sample I thought I would list what I’ve done this …
I’ve just got home from a parent’s evening at the primary school that I am a governor for. I was giving out teas and coffees to parents and chatted with them, the children and the teachers. I came home to the news being dominated by the appearance of Nick Griffin …
I love libraries. They must be one of the best institutions ever. At the weekend I went to pick up – for free – an OWL, which is an electricity monitor that I can borrow for 3 weeks to see how much electricity different things in our house are using. …
http://www.whiteribbonalliance.org/flash/player-viral.swf I’ve signed up to this. I recently became an aunty for the second time and it brings home to me how helpless a child is if their Mum dies in child birth, not to mention how terrible it is for the woman… Anyone who cares about women’s rights should …
My blood wasn’t fast enough to pump out when I went to give blood last week. Although I still have an impressive bruise from the attempt. However as a consolation prize I’ve made sure that my details are registered as an organ donor. I’m not sure if I was already …
Today is national carbon footprint day. The idea is that once a year you take meter readings of various things: Electricity, Gas, water, Milometer on your car (easy one that for me!) and flights over last year (again easy for me) and then the following year you update it. It …
