If you have a few hours to spare and would like to put them to good use improving our surroundings, sharing your skills with others or just giving something back to the community, Fairfield offers plenty of opportunities for volunteering. This month we are featuring Fairfield Parish Council – read on to find out more. 

Who are they? FPC is the only publicly elected body in Fairfield, and represents everyone who lives here. It is the level of local government closest to the community, with Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) above it in the hierarchy. Councillors are accountable to local people and are instrumental in protecting the local environment. 

What do they do? Councillors work to preserve the parish interests in terms of character, history and environment. Probably the most common topics they get involved with are planning, crime prevention and highways. They can also give grants to support local groups and activities. Whilst parish councils have limited powers to make decisions they do have the ability to negotiate with, and the power to influence, those other organisations that do make the final decisions (CBC, health authorities, police, etc). In this respect FPC can be extremely powerful.

Who can join? All seven seats on the council are currently filled, but why not start attending council meetings with a view to standing at the next election?

Where and when do they meet? On the second Thursday of the month, in the Community Hall. Meetings are public, so you can turn up and observe without any commitment to join!

What’s in it for me? A chance to make a difference by influencing decisions that affect our community. “Somebody should do something” is often heard, why shouldn’t that somebody be you?

How can I get involved? Go along to a meeting or contact the clerk at enquiries@fairfield​parishcouncil.gov.uk for more information.

Why now? The next elections are in May 2019, so now is the time to find out more of what goes on before making the choice to stand.