And so it begins

My interest in the scheme stems from having a passion for politics. I studied an A level in Government and Politics and always wanted to utilise my political knowledge; Shadowing a councillor will enable me to do this. My interview was in London. It was short, but pertinent questions were asked. One question that was thought-provoking was how I was going to address the over-representation of black man in psychiatric hospitals. I was unable to answer this fully at the time, but after the interview I knew that once in a position of power, this was something I could address and research into more.

Meeting my Councillor

My initial meeting with the councillor took place in a cafe. It was informal, and this was heightened because of the location where we met. A neutral environment I anticipated would enable me to talk fluently and relax.

The councillor appeared to want to give me a lot of information. Her critical style and approach made the meeting informative, giving me a realistic perception about life as a councillor. Despite the abundance of information the councillor ensured information was carefully selected preventing it from becoming overwhelming. The councillor appeared to have a busy schedule. Her diary was littered with events, oh which she invited me to many. Whilst I embraced these, I was sceptical about the amount of events I would be attending and whether I could manage attendance of these. Nevertheless, I was also conscious about making a good impression and fully engaging in civic life as a councillor.

Shadowing

My meeting was about children and young people. I had no expectations, and on arrival it was interesting to see the layout, format, and composition of the meeting. It was mainly white males over 40 with few women of the same age and ethnicity. I was well aware that I was the only African-Caribbean person at the meeting; this made me think about the under-representation of this racial group.

This was quite startling, given the population of the city is made up of a sizable proportion of ethnic minorities, highlighting those who make the decisions do not reflect the ethnicity of the population. This encouraged me to question whether the needs of this group are well served. This also made me aware of the importance of my own role and the fact I may be a role model for future Black and other minority ethnic (BME) shadow councillors.

My position at this meeting was as an observer. I was unable to contribute because I did not have the papers prior to attendance. Despite these being given to me during the meeting, I felt disorientated, therefore I remained quiet. I wanted to make an impression, but was also aware that initially observing can be beneficial. I would have liked to familiarize myself with the agenda so that my contribution could be effective. The meeting had additional benefits, including enabling me to network with a range of professionals. One person I met was a man from the Youth Council who I may be able to work with in the future. This was a key person given my interest in citizenship that falls under his remit.

My plans for the remaining part of the scheme should equip me with a greater insight as a councillor.