Julie is the elected member for Whitewell Ward on Rossendale Borough Council and currently the only Green Party Councillor. She lived in Whitewell for 20 years and her children went to Water School. Julie still plays an active role in school life as a member of the Board of Governors. Julie is a retired University Law Lecturer having taught and written on Environmental Law. She has always been passionate about the environment, having conducted her Masters degree in the subject. She spends a good deal of her time these days on council and case work and is usually out and about in the ward and local community. Julie is also a founding director of Rossendale Valley Energy – a community benefit association set up to help the community reduce carbon emissions through community energy schemes as well as to work on eliminating fuel poverty.
John is originally from Essex but has lived in Lumb since 1990, is married to Jill and has two grown-up children. He was a parent governor at Water School and assists at local high school simulation evenings for university candidates. He worked in manufacturing industry for many years developing products such as textile treatments and insulation. He is now semi-retired and runs a consultancy business aimed at removing “forever chemicals” from firefighting foams. He was the Green Party candidate for the 2017 general election and has stood for councillor in Whitewell several times. John believes strongly in protecting the environment from the effects of climate change and pollution. If elected to the council he would try to improve residents lives by tackling local issues such as flooding, traffic speeding, green spaces and housing.
As well as candidate for Whitewell and Stacksteads, Bob is also the parliamentary Green Party candidate for Rossendale and Darwen at the next general election. He is chair of the local Green Party and has previously been a candidate in local elections in both England and Scotland. Bob wants to provide voters with a real alternative at local elections and the next general election too. He feels that people have been let down by the main political parties with their broken promises and scandals and wants a fairer and greener Rossendale. Bob wants proper investment in a Green New Deal, creating thousands of jobs, tackling the cost-of-living crisis and protecting our local environment.
Sara is a retired teacher of Music and English. She has lived in Rossendale since 1978. Her hobbies include gardening, walking, bird watching, playing the flute and camping. Sara has been a Green Party member since the late 1980s , has stood in both local and County Council elections in the 1990s. Sara has recently become active again after the formation of the Rossendale Green Party in 2021 and has been involved in litter picking, traffic issues (speeding) and helping local Green councillors. Prior to the pandemic she helped form a local environmental group and is especially interested in local environmental issues.
Elliot takes pride in calling Rawtenstall his hometown. Witnessing the changes over the years, he is motivated to ensure that these changes benefit each and every resident. That’s why he is standing for council – to ensure all voices and interests are represented. Growing up in Rawtenstall, he realises Rossendale’s potential. However, he is concerned about the decisions being made by the current council. He believes they need to be held accountable for their actions and ensure that they work in the best interests of the community. If elected, he will prioritise advocating for better transport systems, ensuring safer roads, and enhancing public spaces. He is committed to listening to residents’ concerns and working tirelessly to make Rossendale a safer, more vibrant, and inclusive place for all.
Chris is a retired teacher and social worker and has lived in Rossendale for 43 years. She is actively working on green issues including – planting more trees, developing local parks, and working with a local primary school and nursery to educate children on growing plants from seed and supporting wild life. She believes that since the Covid epidemic the sense of “community” has grown in Rossendale and hopes that more people will get involved to make “Change” happen. She supports proposals to reduce traffic congestion and wants to see more innovative ideas such as shuttle buses to take shoppers to and from supermarkets and the retail park to reduce cars on the roads. These could be partly funded by the supermarkets as they are adding to the congestion. Air quality would improve, there would be no need for extra car parks and people will feel healthier and happier.
Kamran grew up in Haslingden and went to school there. He loves sports and the outdoors and plays cricket in Haslingden and for other local clubs. He is passionate about the local environment and keeping our towns and streets clean and free from robbing and drugs. He takes great interest in local issues and believes that local communities can work together to overcome obstacles and issues. He is a motivational speaker too as well and works with people with mental health issues. He seeks his motivation from nature and the signs of Allah (God) within ourselves and in nature.
Geoff is a retired teacher and now gardener who became interested in green issues when he read an article on wind power in 1975. He spent his entire working life trying to reduce, re-use, repurpose and recycle. Keeping to the “Think global, act local” philosophy, he decided to become active when the Rossendale Green Party was formed in October 2021. He uses his gardening skills to try to keep the Rossendale valley as green and wooded as possible.
Chich was born in South Africa, and became involved in the anti-Apartheid struggle in his work. He and his wife came to work in the UK for a couple of years, and with family joining them has now lived in the North-West since 2000. He anticipates serious issues in climate breakdown unless we act soon. With only peripheral vision he has an active interest in Disability issues, and in retirement is a volunteer in this sector.
Helen is a mum of two who lives in the Rosssendale area. She is standing for the Green Party as she wants cleaner streets, better facilities, and reliable public transport for her family. She is committed to helping create a greener future for the next generation.
Daniel, originally from the Broughton area of Salford, has lived in Bacup for almost 27 years and a member of the Green Party since 2017, fed up with a lacklustre opposition of an already feeble government. He knows what it is to work both in and out of Rossendale and, despite being a bus and train enthusiast, as Daniel doesn’t drive: he knows the reality of what it is to have to truly rely on public transport.
Daniel is known for his charity work, cares greatly for the welfare of animals, and for the character of Bacup and, more generally, Rossendale overall. If elected, he would be a true working class voice on the council for all in Bacup.
Dave lives in Rawtenstall (Cribden) and works in protecting and enhancing the environment. Fed up with the usual politics and politicians he joined Rossendale Green Party in early 2022 to provide an alternative for people who want a fairer and greener Rossendale. He is passionate about the local environment and ensuring Rossendale continues to be a great place to live.
Gill is retired from the NHS and moved to Rawtenstall in 2021 to be closer to her family. She believes that green values, promoting care for people, communities, and our environment will contribute to a fairer society with better health outcomes.
Terry has been a member of the Green Party for more than 30 years. He is a retired solicitor and has experience of local government as he worked in the legal department of various councils, including Rossendale Borough Council. He came to the Valley in the early 1970s, loved it and has lived here ever since. His main interests are walking, reading and has volunteered for several years at the local credit union. He has been involved in local issues such as litter, traffic problems and planning. His main focus is on these local issues rather than national politics.
Rosie has lived in Rawtenstall for over thirty five years. She is a qualified Social Worker and worked in inner city Children’s Services for much of her working life, witnessing first hand the effects of generations of deprivation. In between Social Work jobs, when bringing up her son, she was a volunteer with “Shelter” and ran a Housing Advice Clinic on a neglected housing estate. She went on to be the Housing Adviser to a Granada Television programme, “This is Your Right”. Rosie believes that the most important issues facing the country, are to deal with poverty, to improve local services, which are constantly being eroded, and to put in place urgent measures to slow down global warming, which is accelerating at an alarming rate. You may see Rosie wearing her Rossendale Civic Pride vest, on her litter picking round, up and down the length of Haslingden Road. As a member of the organisation she helps them with gardening and also assists “The Friends of Whitaker Park”, who have made such a difference by restoring the gardens there. She is a keen supporter of the Incredible Edibles movement and helps the local group in Whitaker Park. Rosie is a volunteer at the Unity Fridge Food Bank too and helped out at RAFT for many years.
Alex is standing as our Green Party candidate for Britannia and Lee Mill. Alex like all of us at Rossendale Green Party want fairer and greener communities here in Rossendale in line with Green Party values. He lives in Bacup, working as an engineer, and wanted to stand in this Council election to provide people with a choice and to make a real difference in Rossendale. He is passionate about the environment and social justice and in making Rossendale a great place to live. He is committed to listening to residents and working hard to ensure the council delivers what the local community needs, particularly on dealing with issues such as safer neighbourhoods, road safety, littering, social care, and providing green and safe spaces for people to enjoy.
Originally from Helmshore, Katrina returned to the Valley in 2010 and lives and works in Haslingden along with her two children who attend local schools. She is a founding member of Rossendale Green Party and was the Green Party’s parliamentary candidate for Hyndburn and Haslingden constituency at the 2019 General Election. An education specialist, Katrina studied politics of the environment as part of a BA Hons in Peace Studies at the University of Bradford. She is passionate about protecting our wildlife and green spaces from over development and, in both her work and politics, fully committed to building a fairer and more equal society for everyone.
James lives in Stacksteads and works as a digital creative in Accrington. He is committed to working for a better today and a more sustainable tomorrow. Social justice, equality and fairness is the bedrock of what he believes and that no one should suffer shortages of life’s essential, and that everyone has a right to a decent standard of life. James believes that when people work together and each contribute a small amount of time and energy, collectively we have a great deal stating “There are so many amazing ways we can reduce our carbon output, promote bio-diversity, source food and products locally to improve our standards of living.”. James is excited for the challenge ahead.