Political View: Listening to residents, getting our hands dirty and making a difference

Sometimes, the best way to make a difference is to put down the paperwork, pick up a pair of gloves and get stuck in. 

That was the spirit in Fletton and Woodston on Sunday 18th October, when Green Councillors Ed Murphy and Katherine Sharp joined local volunteers to tackle an overgrown footpath linking George Street with Pleasure Fair Meadow car park. 

Residents had been telling their councillors about their frustration with overgrown vegetation, concerns about safety and upkeep of local paths. Ed and Katherine listened – then organised a practical response. 

At 1pm, volunteers gathered for an afternoon of hard work, good company and a shared determination to improve the well-used local route. Eight volunteers rolled up their sleeves and the difference they made was clear. There was also plenty of laughter added to the energy!

As the work progressed, passing walkers stopped to chat. Many shared their frustration about the state of the path and their appreciation that somebody was doing something about it. Others wanted to know how they could join future volunteer work parties. It was community action at its best: people identifying a problem, coming together and making a tangible difference. 

And there was another important dimension. Tina Lindsay, Peterborough Green Party’s Membership Officer, encouraged volunteers to retain suitable cut vegetation to create dead hedging – natural habitat that can provide shelter for wildlife, including overwintering invertebrates and small mammals. Retailed plant material will also break down over time, returning organic matter to improve soil. Tidying a path need nor mean stripping nature away. With a little thought, we can improve access while making room for wildlife, too. 

Reform councillor Andrew O’Neil also attended, showing that for Fletton and Woodston, this was not a party-political talking shop, but people from the community working together on something that matters to their neighbours. 

We’re very proud as a party that Green Councillors across the country arrange volunteer events like this on a regular basis. Our Councillors Nicola Day and Alex Bowerbanks, both of Orton Waterville, were out in their ward that same weekend cleaning graffiti, yet this was not deemed newsworthy because it happens on a regular basis. 

We cannot solve that imbalance by complaining about headlines; we can, however, keep showing residents what positive local politics looks like. 

For Peterborough Green Party, this is what Greens in Action means: listening first, working alongside the community, protecting nature and delivering practical improvements.

If anyone wishes to find out more about what is going on locally in their area, or wants to know what greens in Action looks like, find us on Socials, check our local party website or reach out to any of our councillors, we’d love to hear from you about what more we can do in our local communities. 

The path is clearer. Wildlife has more shelter. Residents have been heard. And a group of people spent an autumn Sunday making their neighbourhood better – together. 

That’s the story we are proud to tell.