Cllr Kathryn McCaffer speaks to the WLGA about being a Councillor 

Cllr McCaffer was recently interviewed by the WLGA on what motivated her to stand for local election

07 June 2021

The Welsh Local Government Association represents the interests of local government and also promotes local democracy in Wales. 

The 'Be a Councillor, Be a Change' campaign, hosted by the WLGA, encourages more people from different backgrounds to get involved in local democracy. Their website states:

"Wales needs more Women, People from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic communities, LGBTQ+ people, disabled people and young people stand for election."

Cllr McCaffer was elected in 2017 to represent the Plymouth ward in Penarth. And in 2019 became Cabinet Member for Leisure, Arts and Culture. 

In her WLGA piece Cllr McCaffer explains why she decided to run for election in 2017:

"I wanted to stand as a councillor for several reasons. I was very concerned about the world generally but knew there would be a limit as to how much I could do to make a difference. Locally I knew I had the chance to be heard. As well, I felt that women were dramatically underrepresented, and I wanted our views and concerns to be represented."

Speaking about the piece, Cllr McCaffer explains how it felt to be approached to be part of this campaign:

"I was really pleased to be asked to be involved in the "be a councillor " launch as I believe as many people as possible should consider being involved in local governance. I would like councils to be more representative of our diverse population.

"We all use services that the council provides and we should all have the opportunity to be involved in the decision-making process about those service. I think some people may find the concept or process intimidating, and I hope I've helped to break down the stereotype that people have in mind as to who councillors are.

"Yes it can be a big learning curve, there is a lot of reading and knowledge to acquire and yes it can take over your life...but the benefits of helping and being involved in your community outweigh all of those points. I really enjoy being a councillor, it's like no other job."

You can read the full profile on the Be a Councillor website.