14 January 2019
Brentwood and Chelmsford Green Party had a good year in 2018 with many new active members and much local campaigning to be proud of.
Meetings:
We have held monthly member meetings with average attendance 11/12 members. All meetings have been held at the Quaker Meeting House during 2018. Sadly, the planned Summer Picnic had to be cancelled owing to it coinciding with the one day of heavy rain in August!
During the year we held two public meetings one on Why we need the Green Party more now than ever with Amelia Womack (Deputy Leader) and a meeting entitled ‘An evening with Helen Geake’.
Engagement:
During the past year we have increased our coverage in social media, Facebook and Twitter with lots of improvements on the way to increase our online presence.
We have monthly Green Drinks in three locations – Chelmsford, SWF and Brentwood. Although the viability of the latter two remains in question. A Young Green Society was also started by Sarah Clarke at ARU.
Weekly articles have been written by Paul Jeater and regularly by Angie Faulds for the Gazette and Chronicle.
Elections:
In May we stood two Green Party candidates in Brentwood Council elections. John Hamilton in Brentwood North Ward and Paul Jeater in Ingatestone, Fryerning & Mountnessing Ward.
During the year local party members have supported a variety of local election target campaigns including visits to Epping Forest, Colchester and Norwich.
The local party selected parliamentary candidates in the event of a ‘snap general election campaign’, those selected were: in Brentwood & Ongar (Paul Jeater), Chelmsford (Reza Hossain) and Maldon (Steve Betteridge).
At Parish & Town level we now have two councillors (Angela Thomson in Broomfield and Paul Jeater in Ingatestone & Fryerning).
At regional level local party members occupied a number of key positions – Paul Jeater (Chair/Coordinator) Steve Betteridge (Treasurer), David Rey (Internal Communications).
Liz Carlton has been one of Eastern Region GPRC representatives.
Events:
Members have attended a number of demonstrations in London throughout the year including the two ‘Peoples Vote’ marches, marches in opposition to racism and the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers and the first Extinction Rebellion event. In addition, members attended the demonstrations outside Chelmsford Crown Court in support of those threatened with imprisonment for preventing the forced deportation of asylum seekers & refugees at Stansted Airport.
We have engaged in a number of community activities. We had a stall at Essex Pride in Chelmsford coordinated by David Rey. We organised a ‘give us your unwanted plastic’ event outside Tesco coordinated by Sarah Clark. We undertook the monitoring of air pollution in Chelmsford, SWF and Brentwood and publicised the results.
Members attended the snow bound national Spring Conference in Bournemouth and recently the Autumn Conference in Bristol. Many members supported a resolution on Animal Sentience, researched & written by Emma Randall that was passed at Autumn Conference.
Films for the Future organised: A Plastic Ocean showing on World Earth Day, with sustainable fashion.
No one knows what 2019 will bring but rest assured, we will continue to expand the Green voice in Chelmsford and Brentwood.
