Giffard Park & Blakelands
Cllr Peter Widdowson
Parish Councillor Biography
Resident of Giffard Park since 1984
When did you become a Councillor? I was co-opted onto GLPC in Sept 2011.
Areas of Special interest and expertise
I spent the bulk of my life working for Mercedes-Benz designing, testing and implementing commercial computer systems ( mainly financial ones). I completed my working life in a similar role at Milton Keynes Council. After retirement, I began some charitable work but needed more stimulus. I happened to come to the parish council with an enquiry and as they say the rest is history. It has always been important to me to fully understand the organisation I work for and having done a reasonable job of that at MKC, I was in a good position to understand and contribute to the parish council. A fascination with organisation and a love of the outdoors have been the main areas of interest for me.
I spent the first 2 years really getting to understand the mechanics of local government I have always taken an active part in civic matters and community. I have been involved in many of the committees and working groups. As well as being an contributor to the discussions and projects I am very hands on . I enjoy taking part in the community events and the active tidy ups. Frequently I will take to my bike to check on various aspects that are brought to the attention of the office team.
I have been active in the Finance and Governance group and now lead on that subject. I take an interest in the activities of the parish council in terms of the management of the environment and community activities. I keep in touch by walking and cycling around the Parish.
What inspired you to become a Councillor?
The desire to get things done.
October 2020
Training
Finance Training for Cllrs – 09/2020
Contact
Cllr Janice Whelan
Parish Councillor Biography
When did you become a Councillor? December 2020
Areas of Special interest and expertise
My vocation for 28 years was with Surrey Police as a serving Police Officer achieving the rank of Inspector.
The majority of my service was operational (uniform) with specialist roles in Major crime investigation, Substance misuse intervention team, crimes against vulnerable people, Emergency Planning. As business support manager for Surrey Local Resilience Forum, my role involved supporting all agencies that work together in a Major Incident. Managing ‘Live exercises’, developing processes and evaluating the learning to identify services required, and taking the role of ‘silver commander’ at large events.
Alongside work I brought up two sons as an independent parent and volunteered as an advocate for parents of children with special educational needs or at risk of exclusion to obtain their rights to education.
After retiring I moved to Milton Keynes and started a new life with my new husband. I did some voluntary work with ‘Visit Milton Keynes’ and work part time at MKUH.
What inspired you to become a Councillor?
After moving to Milton Keynes, I wanted to integrate more into my local community. Being a Parish Councillor is a really good way to do this. You learn so much about what is happening and what is available in your local area.
With a desire to retain the status quo my interests lay with Planning and development. It is a role I am still learning, but my ethos is if it doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t so look a bit deeper
Training
New Cllr training – 11/2020
Data Protection Essentials & Refresher for Councillors – 02/2021
Planning and Power – 07/2021
Contact
Cllr Hilda Muchando
Parish Councillor Biography
When did you become a Councillor? May 2021
Areas of Special interest and expertise
I am a ‘global citizen’ and community builder with extensive experience in policy making, strategic planning, project management and capacity development in both the commercial and not-for-profit sectors.
I was born in Zimbabwe and have had the privilege to live and work in 31 countries, including in Africa where, from an early age many girls miss out on opportunities in favour of boys. These early cultural influences and global experiences have shaped how I interpret the world and informed my position as an advocate for female empowerment.
Across the globe, women are still grossly underrepresented in the corridors of power and leadership. In the UK, women are more than 50 percent of the population and more than 50 percent of voters. This makes the need for more women in bonafide decision-making positions within public office an urgent one. If women continue to be excluded from the process of determining the politics of the future, then the future will continue to disadvantage them. Simples!
What inspired you to become a Councillor?
Diversity is vital for local democracy, and I want to be involved in creating a cohesive, active community where all people feel their interests are taken into account. When we do this together, we can change our lives, the lives of our loved ones, and our community.
We are living in a world at the edge of chaos and improving the quality of our lives should be the ultimate target of public policies. As a Black woman, juggling a young family with full-time work, I hope I can inspire others in similar circumstances to fully take part in influencing and informing the decisions that affect their lives.
Training
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