Kibworth Beauchamp Parish Council – Meet your Councillors
Jon Owst
I have lived in Kibworth for eight years with my wife Nicola and been a parish councillor for the last two. We have two young boys, one in Year 1 and one due to start in 18 months, and I feel extremely lucky to be able to bring them up here.
I have been in the Civil Service or Local Government for most of my working life, and currently run Revenues and Benefits at a local authority in Leicestershire.
As part of the Joint Recreation Committee, I have been part of a number of projects, from replacing the basketball hoops at the MUGA to progressing the skatepark project, but my biggest hope for my time here is to increase engagement with the community in Kibworth, making sure your views are sought and heard, and hopefully convincing more to join the team. I believe that we will get the best results for our village by working together.
My email address is:
j.owst@kibworthbeauchamp-pc.gov.uk
Helen Sibson
I became a councillor for Kibworth Beauchamp Parish Council in September 2021, having lived in the village for over a decade. Raising my young family here I have found so much to be thankful for: the local shops, parks, village halls and library.
In my work in the criminal justice system, I regularly see the consequences of social and economic disadvantage, and a sense of disenfranchisement which exists in so many of our communities. Having felt some frustration over the accessibility of the Open Spaces and Neighbourhood Plan consultation, I decided to apply to be a councillor so that I could effect change from within. My aim is to ensure that any actions or decisions I make in my role as parish councillor enable all residents, young and old, to have their voices heard and to feel included in community life. I really want to ensure our meetings are as accessible as possible to people from all walks of life, that information about our work is freely available, and that we operate with transparency. I have recently been involved in the skatepark project and, now that funding is secured, I am really looking forward to seeing the years of planning (which predate my involvement!) finally come to fruition.
One of my hobbies is actually roller skating, so you may catch me occasionally using the facilities myself alongside my children! Whilst I work hard to ensure that decisions we make have the whole community’s best interests at heart, I do feel we have more work to do in terms of accessibility to our monthly meetings and ensuring we consult as widely as possible within our community. I would welcome any ideas on how best we can achieve this, so please do get in touch if you have any suggestions.
h.sibson@kibworthbeauchamp-pc.gov.uk
Planning or the elephant in the room?
