by Marianne Nicholson
For many, attending a community council meeting is probably a bore but when I went along with Mark on the 17th of July to the Keir CC I found I actually got a bit of a thrill out of it.
Mark came and picked me up on Monday evening and we drove down to the village hall together. It was a bright sunny day and I was a bit nervous. It was the first such meeting I had ever attended and I wasn’t sure what to expect.
When we arrived there was a group of young children in football strips and their parents. The council were taking pictures with the team because they had funded them and wanted to celebrate the news. The kids were excited and their parents grateful and it felt amazing to see what the community council could do.
The children headed off and we were ushered into the hall to begin the meeting.
We introduced ourselves and the council invited us to talk first. Mark started us off by explaining where we were based and what the aims of the project are. I then interjected with mention of our education aims: how we are keen to involve the local community and help them learn more about the area that they live in.
We ended by showing them the map of the area and explaining why we wanted the money: to pay for the website, insurance and first aid kits (boring but essential!).
The reception from the Keir CC seemed extremely positive. We’d been given pointers about applying for the funding, an offer of them sharing any of our events, and they’d asked all the right questions. We said goodbye and got back into Mark’s car.
He applied the next day using the form they gave us and within the week they confirmed we’d received the funding!
For me, what was so special was being able to be a part of government at its smallest level. It felt incredible being able to influence the people with the money that will actually make such a difference to our little project.
The Glenmidge Burn Project 