Paul Jenkins – Ramsbottom Ward Candidate

  

Liberal Democrat Ramsbottom Ward Candidate - PAUL JENKINS

 

The clock is ticking… 

 As election day looms closer, some residents have asked if they can have a little information about what the campaign for the Lib Dems consists of. As we don’t have the financial resources to be able to get printed literature to people en masse, the internet will have to do! (Why publish to 5000 homes, when the whole planet could get access instead??).  I shall be trying to ‘do an Obama’ and point people in this general direction as much as I can!

Paul Jenkins 

The local candidate 

Paul Jenkins has been selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate in Ramsbottom. Living locally in the area of Holcombe Hill, Paul has been a Liberal Democrat campaigner for over fifteen years. As a drama teacher and father of two young boys, Paul’s main priorities are for high standards in Education. He is a governor at St Andrew’s Primary and pupil voice co-ordinator within his secondary school, working with young people to ensure that their views are represented within the community. 

Other areas that Paul would like to see gaining more attention from Bury council include improved leisure facilities in the area (he completed the London Marathon in 2008 and is a keen amateur road runner) and the development of more community arts based activities in the borough. Finally, Paul would like to see the heritage status of Ramsbottom maintained and would actively look at ways of improving publicity about the area to increase trade for local businesses based in the “Jewel in the Crown” of the borough. 

As well as this, local Liberal Democrats in Bury have identified four key areas to improve the local council. 

1 – Get the Basics Right
We’ll concentrate on making sure that the basic services that everyone needs work well. This will include spending more money on street repairs, getting bin collections working and better gritting. 

2 – Better Place to Live  

We’ll make sure everything we do helps make our towns and communities better places to live. Our first priorities will be improving our environment and making people feel safe from crime. This will include providing extra community policing in each town of Bury. 

3 – Power to the People 

We’ll cut back Town Hall bureaucracy and give power back to local towns and citizens. Everything we do will be open and fair and involve local people. We will immediately give back the right of people to ask questions at every meeting of the Council.    

4 – More Money in Your Pocket  

We will keep Council Tax as low as we can, and make what Bury Council does great value for money for local people. 

Thank you for your time 

Paul Jenkins 

Ramsbottom Liberal Democrats

Always on the run…

Is it a bird?…er yes it is actually…

Election campaigning combined with getting healthy … who says men can’t multi task? The bit the picture doesn’t show you is the bird on the back, alongside the website details. I’ve got some good responses so far - a few hello’s, a couple of car horns tooted and the odd good luck. The people of Ramsbottom are getting used to seeing the giant running bumblebee now… 

The second time in my life I've been dressed as a bumblebee in public. The other story will have to wait for another time...

I’m hoping the press may pick up the story as a bit of light relief from the heavy dredge of the ‘big’ campaigning that people are already beginning to tire of. Below is the text of the release that went out earlier this week. Who knows if they’ll print anything – but why should you all miss on news of my foolishness if they don’t… 

Running for Rammy!  

The election campaign is now fully underway in the general and local elections, but for one local candidate, it really has become a race for office. Paul Jenkins, the local election candidate for the Liberal Democrats in Ramsbottom is attempting to run the length of breadth of the town to try and get his message across to electors. His aim is to run up every street in Ramsbottom at least once before May 6^th. 

Paul, who has been an amateur road runner for ten years and who has completed two Great North Runs and the London Marathon, is really enjoying this new challenge. “I got the idea when I was training for the Sport relief mile with my son” he explained. “Lots of people wished us luck as I was wearing my sport relief socks – so I for figured that while I’m training for the Joe Geeling Fun Run in June, why not advertise something else I’m passionate about while I’m doing it?” 

 “The response has been good so far, with some people even tooting their horns in support as they drive past. My only regret is that some of the ward is at the top of Holcombe Hill – I’m determined to get up there though!” 

Paul is one of four local candidates standing in the Ramsbottom ward and knows that it will be struggle to get his message across. “I’ve been meeting lots of people across the ward, but without the money of the other parties to get  thousands of pounds worth of leaflets delivered in the post, I’ve had to be a bit creative with how I advertise the campaign – at least I’m keeping healthy doing it!” 

The election campaign runs until 6^th May with three other candidates challenging to be the new local councillor for the area. For more details on the campaign you can contact Paul by email paul@burylibdems.net