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Social and economic justice are key parts of the Green Party’s mission, but environmental justice is perhaps what the party is best known for, and many of its candidates in Thursday’s local council elections are involved in the environmental movement in various ways. This article focuses on three of them.
Val Saunders, candidate for Farmhill & Paganhill
An art tutor who taught young people at South Gloucestershire College in Stroud for 14 years, Val Saunders regularly volunteers at Paganhill Community Hub to run after-school art classes.
It was young artists in one of her classes who designed the recent tulip-themed Green Party ‘thank you’ card that is being delivered locally.
Val also created a map of the local beauty spot the Heavens, and is donating the proceeds of the sale of prints of the map to the Heavens Valley Action Group.
As well as supporting the campaign to buy the Heavens, Val supports the Stonehouse community in their campaign to preserve community access to Verney Fields.
If elected she will work to help the council protect these and other green spaces and meet its goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2030 or before.
Val, whose day job is a support worker, is active in various environmental campaign groups, including Friends of the Earth, and her hobby is making her garden wildlife friendly.
She has campaigned against controversial road-building projects and against the costly and environmentally damaging HS2 rail project.
“I’ve always had this absolute need to do something to sound the alarm and raise awareness about threats to the environment,” she says.
A former Stroud town councillor who is standing for the first time for Stroud District Council, Val says she’s constantly inspired by the many other Stroud residents active in various campaigns.
For more information about Val, visit https://stroud.greenparty.org.uk/your-candidates/stroud-farmhill-paganhill-district-candidate/
Sarah Canning, candidate for Amberley & Woodchester
Sarah works as the sustainability and social value lead for a major resources and waste management company. A key part of her job is to encourage politicians and government departments to develop and deliver more effective waste-related policies.
If elected she will work to help the council do even more to protect the environment. She says: “We are doing a great job within the district, but there is much more to do, from finding more ways to help people reuse and repair their things, to helping nature to thrive.”
Sarah is the co-chair of Nailsworth Climate Action Network, the chair of the Chartered Institute of Waste Management’s south-west centre and a Fellow of the Institute of Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility.
For more information about Sarah, visit https://stroud.greenparty.org.uk/your-candidates/amberley-and-woodchester-candidate/
Martin Brown, candidate for Bisley
Martin Brown is chair of the Bisley, Eastcombe and Oakridge Climate Action Network (BisCAN), which he founded in 2020. He is on the boards of Bisley Community Composting Scheme and of the Cotswolds National Landscape, where he is helping to create the climate action plan for this designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
He is also a trustee of environmental charity Stroud Valleys Project.
His dream for a better country and world is fairer distribution of everything; fewer cars; less conflict; less harm to nature/more recovered habitats; more local, organic food production; and less industrial farming and other forms of animal exploitation.
If re-elected he would aim to help Stroud District Council to achieve more nature recovery and increase the number of nature habitats.
For more information about Martin, visit https://stroud.greenparty.org.uk/your-candidates/bisley-with-lypiatt-candidate/
Promoted by Rob Brookes on behalf of Stroud District Green Party, at 17 Great George Street, Bristol BS1 5QT
