Coffee Morning

In something of a departure for The Farnborough Society, a few of us met on 10th March at the home of Barbara Hurst for a coffee morning at which guest speaker Sue Gadsby told us about her role as a borough councillor.  On arrival, the members chatted informally over refreshments, with some interesting ideas put forward for future events.

Suitably refreshed, we settled down to hear Sue first explain how Rushmoor Borough Council operates and the various committees, both standing and ad hoc, on which she serves. Sue sees herself as an intermediary, not only acting as an advocate in presenting the concerns of her constituents to RBC, but also ensuring that council decisions are effectively transmitted to constituents.

Sue went on to describe the wide range of casework she undertakes on behalf of her constituents, and spoke of her particular interest in mental health issues. She brought along a typical post bag to illustrate the diversity of her work, and gave examples of some of her successes in problem-solving.

After her talk, Sue answered questions on a variety of topics such as working in partnership with the other councillors in her three-councillor ward and balancing the demands of her party and her constituents.

The morning ended with further refreshments and more convivial chat. The attendees agreed that coffee mornings are a good idea, and it was clear that the informality presented a rare opportunity for our members to relax and enjoy one another’s company.