10 Minutes with Cllr Emi SlaterI joined the Parish Council because I just had to do something! Back in 2020 (a bit like now) I was feeling pretty stressed in the face of so many dreadful things happening nationally and globally and I felt that doing something proactive for the good of my local community would stop me feeling so helpless. I think there’s a saying: Think Globally, Act Locally? And so I stood for election, along with two other women of similar mind, and - yes - it has helped. It’s a bit of a cliché but Brill really is a special place - mainly because it has an unusually large and beautiful common hugging the village. We all love our common - but it’s much more than that; it’s really important environmentally, even more so in the face of the climate crisis. This is why I think one of my biggest achievements has been working with others to protect it. Brill Common is a vital chalk grassland habitat, a great example of Britain’s ever diminishing pockets of truly common land and a rare example of conservation grazing; part of the dying heritage of “Commoning”. The first big step was realising that we needed to spend more money on the common and that, in order to protect it properly, we needed expert help - and so we employed a professional Ecologist and Conservation Manager to give us technical advice and coordinate our team of wonderful volunteers. Two years on, I’m really proud of how the Brill Common & Village Greens Advisory Group is working together to look after the common. They all work so hard come rain or shine! I’ve learnt a lot being a councillor'; about nature and wildlife, about the history of Brill and the amazing people that live here, and about the laws related to Common Land, particularly encroachment. I’ve also learnt about managing expectations, not getting too emotional - and the need for patience and resilience. I think my biggest challenge as a councillor has been dealing with “fake news”; rumours, misinformation, over-reactions. I know these things are a sign that people care but it can be so difficult and time-consuming - and sometimes personally hurtful. My biggest bugbear is people who moan and lecture the Parish Council on Facebook but don’t step-up and get involved! It’s also been a struggle getting villagers to understand that our common needs to be protected. So much common land has been lost across the country and even small encroachments, like a hard surface put down to park a car, have a real and lasting impact. Do Parish Councils matter? Of course they do! Local people make better local decisions. We know the real-life details and recognise the nuances within our community. Even huge, planet-wide issues like climate change have a local dimension - and I think we’ve started that conversation in Brill. What advice would I give to new councillors? First: Build your team. A previous councillor advised us to go to the pub after every meeting, however bad-tempered the meeting may have been. We’ve not managed to do that but I understand the thinking behind that advice. Public unity - and supporting each other - are both really important. Second: Don’t just pay lip service to ideas; act on your words. Make things happen!
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