I moved to Dursley about 5 years ago, though I had been thinking about making the move for a while before that. It seemed a nice place and had good walking around it, along with the convenience of the railway to get me to work in the middle of Bristol. I moved into the Highfields Estate and have found the town has lived up to my expectations; the people are friendly and welcoming and the town has a lot to offer.

I took early retirement from work at the end of 2021, so I became one of the Inactive people the government are keen to see going back to work. After 35 years as a public servant I don't really want to work full time again. On the other hand, I missed not doing things that were working towards improving life for others, and missed working with groups to do this.

When I saw a vacancy for a Town Councillor, I thought it sounded like something that would be interesting and would use my skills for the public benefit. The application process for being co-opted onto the council was straightforward and now I am learning my way around the various committees. I have joined the Planning Committee- there was a vacancy there. I am also working with other Town Councillors on the Heritage Assets project- which I had volunteered to participate in as I was in the Dursley and Cam Society and have an interest in history and the built environment.

Oh yes, I also spend time digging out brambles in the Community Garden at the Highfields play area."