LOCAL DEMOCRACY WEEK

BEDFORDSHIRE YOUTH CABINET PETITION LOCAL COUNCILLORS

As well as being crowned 2008 Bedford Youth Champion I took part in several other Local Democracy Week events last week. On Friday two Bedford Borough Councillors and I met 15 members of Bedfordshire Youth Cabinet to discuss their Transport Project and how to progress their recommendations.

They were a lively group as you can see in the photograph above - I am in a pink jacket in the middle receiving the Project X Petition, signed by 2,200 young people. Project X builds on the success achieved in 2007 when the Youth Cabinet secured £50,000 to spend on a Transport Token Scheme to help young people, especially those in rural areas, access positive activities outside school.

I am delighted that so many young people take a keen interest in politics and I will to continue to be an advocate for young people in my role as Bedford Youth Champion. The Youth Cabinet will be invited to the next County Council Children's Services Committee meeting in November to give a presentation on their Transport Project to members of the Committee and Council officers.

BEDFORD YOUTH CHAMPION!

LYNNE FAULKNER IS CROWNED 2008 BEDFORD YOUTH CHAMPION!


'After a hard fought 2 week contest Councillor Lynne Faulkner was elected the 2008 Bedford Youth Champion today, beating Cllr Apu Bagchi and 4 other Borough Councillors'

Over 300 students from 9 Bedford Borough schools registered on line to take part in the "I'm A Councillor Get Me Out of Here" Event. During the two weeks students asked 557 questions of the 6 Councillors. Lynne answered 105 questions and chatted online to students from 3 Upper Schools and visited John Bunyan Upper School. Every day this week one Councillor was voted off and this afternoon Lynne was elected the 2008 Youth Champion for Bedford - the 3rd Conservative Councillor to win the Event.

"I am thrilled to have won this contest and worked very hard to interact daily with young people across Bedford Borough, answering their questions honestly and openly"

This event was part of Local Democracy Week, with various events run by all the Councils in Bedfordshire. As a County Councillor I also took part in Take Your Councillor to School, Political Speed Dating and Project X - meeting members of the Bedfordshire Youth Cabinet to discuss their Transport Project.

The aim was to engage young people in local democracy, letting them to express their views to local councillors and it was an exciting event and a great learning experience for us all.

TWO MORE EVICTIONS FROM "I'M A COUNCILLOR"

Two more Borough Councillors have been evicted from "I'm A Councillor Get Me Out of Here!" - Conservative Mark Smith and Liberal Democrat Henry Rogers. There are only 2 Councillors left in the contest and one of them is me!

Today I chatted online to Hastingsbury Upper School and John Bunyan Upper School students. I also met 5 students from St. Thomas More Catholic Upper School who came to observe the County Council meeting, where I sit next to the Council Chairman as his Vice Chairman. I asked Cllr Peter Hollick, the new Cabinet Member for Community Services a question about Bedfordshire Music during the meeting.

After lunch and an online session replying to more student questions - 102 questions answered so far! - I took part in a lively Political Speed Dating event with students from 5 schools, including Hastingsbury, Biddenham and St. Thomas More. Afterwards I had an interview with Chiltern Radio about Local Democracy Week.

Tomorrow early afternoon I will meet Youth Parliament Members who are presenting a transport petition. They have been allocated £50,000 to spend on various transport projects and have been conducting research over the past few months.

As a twinhatted County/Borough Councillor I am the only contestant who has made an official school visit and taken part in the County events, including Speed Dating and have engaged with a large number of students from 6 Upper Schools.

Young people reading this Blog - this is your last chance to vote for me. Tomorrow at 3pm Bedford's 2008 Youth Champion will be announced. Watch this space.........

I'M A COUNCILLOR GET ME OUT OF HERE! - FIRST EVICTION

Cllr Dave Lewis, Leader of the Borough Council Labour Group was the first Councillor evicted from the "I'm a Councillor Get Me Out of Here" contest this afternoon. There are 5 Councillors left - 2 Conservative, 2 Liberal Democrat and 1 Independent and by Friday afternoon there will be only one - the new Youth Champion.

This morning I was interviewed on BBC Three Counties Radio about Local Democracy Week and "I'm A Councillor..." and the interview was repeated so there was some good publicity for me and John Bunyan Upper School, which is a rapidly improving school. The Bedford Times & Citizen also quoted my comments in an article last Thursday.

I have answered 83 questions online so far, including one today asking me "Obama or McCain?" My choice is Obama as I think it is time for a change in America and Obama is very intelligent, thoughtful and has more international appeal than McCain.

At 72, McCain has had 3 cancer scares and could die in office, leaving the gun toting 'hockey Mom' with her finger on the nuclear trigger - a scary prospect.
My vote would not be swayed by either gender or race as I assess politicians on their ability, and have read Obama's inspiring book "The Audacity of Hope".

This morning I went back to school and shadowed a bright 16 year old GCSE student at 4 lessions - PSHE, Mathematics, Science and ICT. After my early start this morning, and a weekend spent looking after small grandchildren, by 12 I was exhausted!

In the PSHE lesson, the students asked me lots of questions about Local Democracy.
I was very impressed by the lively and intelligent students I met. The dynamic new
new Head of School, Ursula Byrne, believes that in 2009 John Bunyan School will continue to improve its GCSE results which were the best ever this year.

Tomorrow I shall be going online at 10am to have a live chat with more students.

BBC 3 COUNTIES RADIO INTERVIEW

GOOD MORNING ALL!

I have just been interviewed by Stephen Rhodes on BBC 3 Counties Radio for 8 minutes - a long time by radio standards. The interview was about Local Democracy Week and I'm A Councillor Get Me Out of Here! and went out live at 6.20am - a bit early for most people - and was repeated later in the morning.

Stephen Rhodes has a reputation as a tough interviewer but he allowed me free rein because I knew my subject well. Steve asked me about the contest and local politics and I mentioned my John Bunyan Upper School visit three times in the interview.

Today I am going back to school on "Take Your Councillor to School" day and will be shadowing a student at 4 lessons at John Bunyan Upper School - Maths, ICT, Science and PSHE - Personal,Social and Health Education. Last week Toby Reid, Head of Humanties had a Citizenship Class in PSHE. Toby and his students asked me several questions online. I have had 80 questions from the nine Bedford Borough Schools involved in Im A Councillor Get Me Out of Here - more than any other candidate.

Today the first Councillor will be voted off. I aim to survive and become Bedford's 2008 Youth Champion. I am the only "twinhatted" candidate out of the 6 Councillors, ie I am both a County and Borough Councillor and the only one who is taking part in the school vists and the Political Speed Dating on Thursday.

I'M COUNCILLOR GET ME OUT OF HERE!

My apologies for not giving you an update earlier this week, but I have been out every night and busy all day. Technically I am a pensioner but have 3 part time jobs and various voluntary activities, eg school governor which sometimes all clash!

Monday/Tuesday I had a 2-day employment tribunal, Tuesday I had a breakfast HR meeting at Elstow Lower School before the tribunal and in the evening Elstow Parish Council meeting. On Wednesday I had to chair the County Council Children's Services Committee in the absence of the Chairman. After lunch I dashed to my dentist in Lethcworth 20 miles away for an emergency repair of a tooth broken on a sweet. Then I went to an evening Borough Council Full Council meeting, where I made a speech on an Olympic Games/free swimming motion. Thursday I had a new hair cut and went to more meetings and answered dozens of emails.

I'm A Councillor ... Get Me Out of Here update
Somehow I have managed to answer 63 on line questions from Upper School students in 4days - more than any of the other 5 Councillors in the Contest. The questions were on a wide range of topics including crime, buses, recycling, social facilities for young people, drugs, local politics and what did I do when I was a child!

I did manage to squeeze in a Monday evening theatre visit to see a fantastic performance of "Evita" at Milton Keynes and a Mid Beds Conservative Conservative Dinner last night, hosted by Nadine Dorries our MP, with an excellent speech from Greg Hand MP for Hammersmith/Fulham.

Today I have been to 2 County Council meetings, one for Bedfordshire Music. On Saturday morning I will conduct my regular surgery in Elstow before heading north to the Midlands to babysit my 2 small grandchildren.

Never a dull moment!

I'M A COUNCILLOR ...GET ME OUT OF HERE! Day 1

Day 1 of "I'm A Councillor .... Get Me Out of Here!" has arrived and already I have answered 5 questions on anti social behaviour, social activities for young people, education and local politics.

Pictured above are young people using their computers at school - perhaps to ask me more questions? - and students at John Bunyan Upper School which many of the young people who live in Elstow and Wilstead attend, and where I hope to visit next Monday on the 'Take Your Councillor to School' Day.

See you all tomorrow..............

LOCAL DEMOCRACY WEEK 2008

As part of Local Democracy Week 2008 all the Upper and 2 Middle Schools in Bedford Borough are taking part in "I'm A Councillor ...Get Me Out of Here!"

This is an online event for young people to interact with 6 Bedford Borough Councillors including me over the next two weeks. Each Councillor has prepared a Manifesto and Profile and will reply to questions from students starting tomorrow. On Monday 13 October one Councillor will be voted off by the teenagers each day for
5 days, leaving one Councillor who will become the 2008 Youth Champion for Bedford Borough on Friday 17 October.

Local Democracy Week aims to increase young people's awareness and understanding of politics and local councils. We already have School Councils and a Youth Parliament and this is another way to encourage young people to engage in the democratic process and raise issues of interest to them.

During Local Democracy Week 13-17 October 2008 I am also taking part in other events. On Monday - Take Your Councillor to School, on Tuesday - You Decide 2008, on Thursday - Political Speed Dating and on Friday - Project X. During the 2007 Local Democracy Week I met some School Councillors and took part in the Political Speed Dating. I am looking forward to meeting young people online this week.

For more information you can log into www.bigvote.org.uk/councillor

LOCAL DEMOCRACY WEEK 2008

Next week sees the start of the run up to 2008 Local Democracy Week, encouraging young people to engage in local politics. Throughout next week I will be involved in an Internet based dialogue with young people in 9 schools across Bedford.

Make sure you visit my Blog regularly next week to find out what I am doing to engage with the young people of Bedford Borough.........