Cllr Dawn Campbell - Newark Town Council (Beacon) Leader

The last 2 years have been hard work but also very enjoyable and a number of substantial decisions that IFND has contributed to in that time are now bearing fruit.

I am proud to have chaired the Environmental Stewardship committee during my first year as a councillor, pursuing sustainable planting schemes and solar energy possibilities.  As a member of the Events, Arts, Culture and Twinning committee I have been involved in decisions on Newark Festival and the purchase of the pop-up beach, both of which have been hugely popular.  What we can be very proud of is having been able to reduce costs whilst still offering such services.

Since living in Newark I have become involved with various cross-cultural groups and the strong community feeling about the place is something I am still in awe of.  With a background in Modern Languages and having travelled widely I have always had an interest in how other countries operate. I feel we have a lot to learn by seeing how other places, particularly of a similar size, respond to very similar challenges.  I visited our German twin town of Emmendingen last summer and am particularly interested in how they are responding to climate change, with an emphasis on the future of young people.  Their town, district and regional cycle route plans are enviable, and I am keen to pursue how we can contribute to adapting our infrastructure to accommodate more active travel. 

We have thriving arts and culture communities in Newark and it would be wonderful to increase connections, both nationally and internationally. As a councillor, I am working to raise the profile of our lovely historic market town.