The role of an Association Chairman

Cllr Sue Lissimore
Borough Councillor for Prettygate, Colchester Conservative Association Chairman, Prettygate Chairman, local CWO Chairman

I became a Councillor and now, Chairman of Colchester Conservative Association, through my love of where I live.

I have three children and saw that, at both the local Council and within the Conservative party, there should be more representation from busy mums. I was elected five years ago as a Borough Councillor. I've been the local Party’s branch Chairman for two years and I'm now Association Chairman. I take a very 'hands on' approach to all my roles – as a Councillor I often litter pick, remove graffiti, repaint signs and go out of my way to improve my area.

My fellow ward Councillors and I hold regular public meetings and remain accessible to all our ward members. And that is also how I like to work as Association Chairman – we have many members who are long standing and have vast experience but also many who have never been part of an organisation before.

I hope I can help and nurture them so that they can find their own role within the Party either as a deliverer, committee member, social member or as a candidate. I hope my time as Association Chairman will create a more rounded party in my area with representatives from young and old, male and female.

The role of an Area Chairman

Paul Dendle
Sussex Area Chairman

The Conservative Area Chairman role is voluntary, and although we are elected by senior local Conservatives, the role is unpaid and we receive no expenses. My Area is the whole of Sussex from Chichester in the west to Hastings in the east. I travel quite a lot, visiting associations and I am supported by a small team of volunteers – Sussex Area is made up of 16 associations with 13 sitting Conservative MPs. Area officers are responsible for managerial and administrative jobs, and it takes approximately 20 hours a week of my time. I am also a Local Councillor and Cabinet member.

My role with my team is to bond Associations into a cohesive structure with a recognisable identity; Conservative Associations in the past have been notoriously independent and have worked in isolation from neighbouring associations. Now we're engaging with a sophisticated electorate and looking to recruit new members.

Communication is central to our strategy, we predominately use email for daily contact, but also I meet association Chairmen on a regular one to one basis as well ashaving a group suppers with all chairman every 3 months. We are introducing new ideas and innovation and starting to talk as one.Our strength is the ability to talk with a single voice, both 'up' to CCHQ and to members. In turn, we get support from the centre for our new initiatives and are a stronger organisation. I relish my role because I love the interaction with the Voluntary Party and MP's, its hard work but very rewarding.

The role of a Regional Chairman

Linda Kirk
East Midlands Regional Chairman

The East Midlands covers fifty Parliamentary Constituencies and I have been the Regional Chairman for the last two and a half years. During that time we have fought European, Parliamentary, County Council Elections, and this year we had Borough and District Elections, plus a Parliamentary By-Election, two Mayoral Elections and the vitally important Referendum on the Alternative Vote.

My objective is always to help our candidates get elected, and in this election to get a No vote in the referendum. Winning elections requires people, money, expertise, organisation and enthusiasm, not just at election time but all year, every year.

The bigger the task the more teamwork is needed, and we have a Regional Team of eight, working with the professional staff, the Area Teams and Regional Conservative Women’s Organisation and Conservative Future.

By liaising and consulting with Constituency Officers, Council Group Leaders and Candidates we finalise our strategy and make sure the plans are carried out.

The Regional Team and our MP’s have particularly stressed the importance of the referendum, and working with our Regional and Area NOtoAV Co-ordinators, we encouraged Areas and Associations to hold NOtoAV events, have street stalls in as many locations as possible, and deliver thousands of leaflets.

Constituency Associations hold their AGM’s in February/March and I very much enjoy going to as many as possible, to meet our activists and pass on information, get up-dated on progress and thank them in person for all they do. Throughout the year I spend a lot of time acting as a channel of communication between our Associations and the National Strategy Team.

Perhaps most enjoyable of all is when I get out on the doorsteps with our candidates, talking to voters and finding out what they really think, and making sure as many as possible vote Conservative.

One thing is certain, politics is often hard work, sometimes challenging, but never boring!