Shefali Begum
Labour Party
Spotland & Falinge Ward
My name is Shefali Begum, I am your Labour Candidate for the Spotland and Falinge ward in the local elections in May 2012.
At present I am governor at Falinge Park High School and Heybrook Primary school. I am an active governor at both schools where I sit on all the sub committees influencing important decisions regarding the school’s curriculum and resources. I am also an elected Primary Representative on the executive Panel of The Rochdale Borough Governors Independent Forum. I am a Representative on the IPLCN (Inspirational Professional Learning Community Network).
I have campaigned for the New Build of Heybrook Primary School in 2010.The plans for the new school where being scraped due to the cuts and the lack of funding. I decided to draw up a petition on which I got over 200 hundred signatures from the wider community. I have attended Township and Cabinet meetings regarding this particular issue. I achieved to get a reasonable amount of finance to cover the immediate refurbishment requirements of the school. Cabinet also stated that Heybrook would be put as a priority for a new build when the Primary Capital Programme opened in the future.
As a councillor, I will be looking to make a positive and constructive contribution to the borough as a whole not only to my designated ward. We need to look at the bigger picture, which requires a massive regeneration process in the borough. Things like raising aspirations amongst our youth, providing easy access to education, training, inspire businesses to provide apprenticeships and job opportunities to people from all aspects of our communities. I believe to make a prosperous thriving borough we need united and strong communities which are dedicated and passionate about where they live and their future generations will reside.
I am a great believer in women’s rights and equal opportunities. Women from all communities should be able to access the same rights, same pay, and also the same job opportunities as men. I would like to be the voice and ambassador for the hundreds of women who are immensely under represented in our communities.
‘Look forward in working with you to make a better Rochdale’
