We are absolutely delighted to welcome Rachel Brown as our newest Member of Beaminster Town Council.
Many of you will already know Rachel but for those who don’t here is a little about Rachel in her own words…..
‘I have been a resident in Beaminster for 18 years. I have two children Mitch, 21 and Lucy 14.
My work life involves me working for the Co-op in two roles. Predominantly as a Member Pioneer Coordinator and secondary to that, I also work in the local Co-op shop. As a Member Pioneer Coordinator, I manage a team of 8 Co-op Member Pioneers who are spread across Dorset, East Devon and South Somerset. Their role is working closely with community groups in their local area to ensure everyone has access to food, access to education and access to mental wellbeing. They do this by connecting the groups and causes with local Co-op stores, Food banks, town councils etc.
In addition to this, I also work as a Digital Skills Tutor, providing support to people in their own homes learning how to use their mobile devices. And, I volunteer as a network leader for WiRE (Women in Rural Enterprises).
I have enjoyed my recent involvement with the Beaminster Resilience team supporting the community through the difficult times during the pandemic.
My aspirations for the town come in three parts.
Digital Poverty
This something I am particularly keen to investigate within our community. I hope to ensure that ALL members of the Beaminster community and the surrounding villages are not struggling to access online services due to limited funds for devices and broadband costs or lack of digital skills. I think the pandemic has highlighted the ‘digital divide’ in many ways with all age groups affected.
Art, Media and Culture with younger people
I hope to support, encourage and inspire the younger members of our community to be involved with future initiatives around art, media and culture.
Inclusivity
I believe the pandemic did show that our town has a sense of unity. Clap for NHS was one example of everyone doing the same as their neighbours. The scarecrow competition was a fabulous example of bring the community together with something for everyone.’
So many congratulations to Rachel and we very much look forward to working with you in your new role.
If you wish to contact Rachel please call the Council Office on 01308 863634
