MAKE A CHANGE BECOME A COUNCILLOR - Elections 2021

Are you passionate about your community? Do you want to help make a long-lasting change? Do you have innovative ideas for the council? Do you have concerns about a specific issue and want to do something about it? If this is you, then we need you. We need people from all backgrounds and experiences who reflect their community to put themselves forward for election. Make a change and become a councillor.

Here, you will find everything you need to know. We explain what local councils and councillors do, how you can become a councillor, details of the role and what to expect, and local councils a range of resources to help recruit candidates.

WHAT DO LOCAL COUNCILS AND COUNCILLORS DO?

Local (parish and town) councils and councillors make a massive difference to local people's quality of life. They are passionate about their communities and seek to make a change to help improve their residents' lives. 

Local councils run numerous services, depending on the size of the council. Many you will see day-to-day, but some are less known. These include introducing solar panels, setting up dementia-friendly groups, organising community buses, creating neighbourhood plans, implementing suitable housing, establishing youth projects, managing allotments and open spaces, maintaining footpaths, public seating and litter bins.

Councillors are elected to represent the local community, so you must either live or work in the council area. Becoming a councillor is a rewarding experience as you will be able to make a change in your community to help improve residents' lives. A councillor’s role can include developing strategies and plans for the area, helping with problems and ideas, representing the community, working with other local community groups, decision making and reviewing decisions and talking to the community about their needs and what the council is doing.

HOW TO BECOME A COUNCILLOR?

Local councils can only be as helpful, connected and energetic as the people elected to run them, so we need councillors capable, enthusiastic and engaged to reflect their communities. You can find out more about becoming a councillor on The Electoral Commission and Local Government Association website.

There are six simple steps to becoming a councillor:

1. Check for elections in your area by emailing your elections officer
2. Submit your nomination to the returning officer — find out more about the process and the criteria
3. Wait for your nomination to be accepted
4. Your nomination is made public by the principal authority
5. Start your elections campaign
6. Polling day

The Parish Council has taken the decision,  following Government guidelines, to only produce an online version of the Newsletter for this month (Click on document link below). If you know of any of your
immediate neighbours who don’t have access to a computer, please feel free to print a copy and give it to them using gloves. Thank you.

Important changes to the eligibility criteria and distribution routes for an Emergency PPE supply for unpaid carers

Following on from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) Social Care Working Group announcement on 25 January,2021 all unpaid carers can access an emergency supply of PPE through the local authority.

Unpaid carers in Shropshire can access emergency PPE supplies from Shropshire Council using the following link:

https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/coronavirus/information-for-social-care-services/ppe-request-form/

With the COVID-19 vaccination programme continuing to gather pace in Shropshire, the council’s director of public health is reminding residents who have received their vaccine that it is vital to keep following the rules to avoid putting themselves and others at risk.

While being vaccinated provides good protection from becoming unwell with COVID-19 and we’re all looking forward to being able to see our friends and family again, it’s very important that when you have been vaccinated you continue to follow social distancing rules and any Government guidance on restrictions.

This includes:

• Staying at Home and only making essential journeys
• Maintaining social distancing measures from those not in your household or support bubble
• Self-isolating if you’re required to do so
• Booking a test and self-isolating if you have symptoms of coronavirus
• Wearing a face covering if you are able, where it is required to do so.

This is because:

• You will not be protected straight away. It usually takes three weeks to develop immunity.
• No vaccine is 100% effective. Even after you’ve waited those first three weeks, and even after your second dose later, your vaccinations may not offer you complete protection from becoming unwell with COVID-19.
• Restrictions will remain in place as long as there are large numbers of people in the UK with the virus.
• We don’t yet know how well the COVID-19 vaccines work at preventing transmission of the virus. It’s therefore possible that after vaccination you could develop COVID-19 but have no symptoms, so still be able to pass the virus on unknowingly to someone else.

Dean Carroll, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for adult social care, public health and climate change said:

‘The NHS rollout of the vaccination programme marks a significant step forward in the fight against COVID-19. The opening of our two large vaccination centres in Shrewsbury and Ludlow means we now have the capacity to vaccinate tends of thousands of more people across the county.

“I know how keen everyone is to get their jab and get back to normal, but for those who have received their first dose, it can take three weeks to build up protection from the virus, and it is not yet known whether people who have had the vaccine can still transmit the virus.

“It’s vital to continue following the rules after being vaccinated, to ensure that you don’t unknowingly pass on the virus to anybody else. This is especially important if you are caring for or seeing someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable, over 50 or has an underlying health condition, because you could be putting them at risk of severe illness or even death.”

Rachel Robinson, Shropshire Council’s director of public health, said:

“The COVID-19 vaccine is a safe and effective way to protect yourself and your loved ones. The vaccination programme is continuing to rollout over the weeks and months ahead, with more and more people benefitting. The vaccine is being offered to those in the top nine priority groups first (Phase 1), before being rolled out to the rest of the adult population in Phase 2.

“We all want an end to lockdown, so it is now more important than ever that we continue to observe these simple behaviours, to prevent further spread of the virus and protect our communities. Remember: just because you’ve had a vaccine, does not mean it is safe for you to socialise. We do not yet know whether it will stop you from catching and passing on the virus, but we do expect it to reduce this risk. So, it is still important to follow the guidance in your local area to protect those around you.”

For local advice and support during the pandemic (especially if you are self-isolating or shielding), call Shropshire Council’s COVID-19 Helpline on 0345 678 9028 (lines open on the weekend on Saturday from 9am-4pm and Sunday 9am-12pm) or visit our website at www.shropshire.gov.uk/coronavirus.