Local volunteers Colin Doubleday and Tony Hiller have started a crowd funding campaign to help with the cost of standing for the Parish Elections in South Central Swindon. They wish to be elected to sit on the new Parish Council at the elections on 4 May.
Colin from Old Town and Tony from Eastcott are keen to see independents on the new Parish Councils, but they feel it will be hard to pay for expenses when they are fighting party candidates from the Conservatives, Labour, and Lib Dems who have the party machine to pay for and organise an election campaign.
Tony said: "It is very important to have independents on these new councils. We are talking about local issues like grass cutting and libraries, those should not become party political matters. Parish councillors do not get paid and yet we need money to pay for leaflets, meeting rooms and other election costs."
Colin said: "The political parties collect funds from a wide range of people and will pay the bills of all of their candidates, then they will have many volunteers on the streets to drum up support. We do not have that opportunity, but we are keen to serve the community.
"We want to include lots of public opinion in all the decision making. It is important that people can ask questions and offer opinions at all stages of debate and that the parish shares information effectively to those who cannot attend meetings. We would like to see local polls, Facebook and other social media and a totally open approach to parish council matters.
Swindon born, Colin has been part of the Pipers Area Residents' Association for fifteen years and Tony has been involved in a wide range of voluntary projects since he came to the town in 1990.
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