Could you become a Shropshire councillor? Find out more

There are currently 74 councillors serving on Shropshire Council, representing 63 electoral divisions across the Shropshire Council area.

Every four years local elections are held to elect the councillors who will represent each division. The next elections are due to be held in May this year.

Now people are being asked, do you know what a councillor does, and could you be a Shropshire Councillor?

To help answer these questions, three current councillors have explained why they became councillors, what they enjoy about the role, and what advice they would have for anyone thinking of standing for election.

Anyone who would like find out more, and is interested in standing for election, should visit the Shropshire Council website.

Kate Halliday, councillor for the Belle Vue division in Shrewsbury said she first chose to stand for election as she had always admired what a previous councillor for the division had done,

"I thought it might be interesting to see if I could make a few changes and differences to local community.”

She said she had been surprised by just how broad the role has ended up being.

Varied

"You get to vote on high-level issues, encourage changes, influence things at a strategic level and do lots of varied things within your local area – including dealing with the unexpected.”

"What I enjoy most about being a councillor is what I do within the local area, and managing to make small changes, which can be really rewarding.”

“If you’re interested in working locally and at a strategic level, do think about becoming a councillor. It’s very enjoyable and rewarding and you learn an awful lot.”

Madge Shineton, councillor for the Cleobury Mortimer division said she had been a councillor at parish, district and unitary level since 1978. She says that she first became a councillor because she thought she might be able to make a difference.

"It's given me an enormous degree of satisfaction, because it’s all about what happens to people locally, you can achieve something that you can see and touch and that is useful to the community.”

Ann Hartley, councillor for the Ellesmere Urban division, first became a councillor 25 years ago because, as she says, “I really wanted to make a difference to my local area and be a voice and an ambassador for people in the area.”

“If you can make a difference people are so grateful and that’s what it’s all about, when you get a thank you and people are genuinely thankful.”

"It's hard work and you need to be a people person, but it really is very fulfilling."