A councillor elected just six months ago has been shortlisted for a national award for “dedication to community betterment”.
Chandni Mistry, who was 19 when she was elected in May, is up for Young Councillor of the Year at the annual Cllr Awards, run by the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU).
The Queens Park ward councillor, who has yet to speak at a council meeting, was nominated for securing fresh amenities for children’s play areas and advocating for positive mental health.
The press release does not specify which playground amenities, but it’s likely it refers to the playground revamp in Queens Park.
This got underway in July, and is one of 32 playground revamp paid for by Section 106 money earmarked for playgrounds across the city in 2019.
The press release says: “Cllr Mistry is shortlisted for Young Councillor of the Year for her dedication to community betterment.
“Her tangible contributions, from securing fresh amenities for children’s play areas to advocating for positive mental health, showcase her as an inspirational leader who exemplifies the spirit of dedicated public service.”
LGIU declined to give any more details about the nomination, including who had nominated her, except to say candidates cannot nominate themselves.
Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, LGIU said: “In the face of unprecedented domestic and global challenges over the last year, councillors nationwide have once again exhibited unwavering dedication to serving their constituents.
“The shortlist for the 2023 Cllr Awards represents some of the most devoted elected representatives in England and Wales.
“As councils continue to deliver essential services like social care and housing amid a cost of living crisis, these awards are a hugely important way to champion what councillors do locally.
“Their work, all too often, goes unrecognised and we take great pride in featuring their stories in this year’s shortlist.”
Cllr Mistry did not respond to a request for comment.
Don’t take this down please, Frank, and I don’t think you will, because the tone of Jo’s article says it all really, thank you Most of the populace of B&H has never heard of this person, so what has she done to be nominated for this award? Previously we had ex-Cllr Heley winning this thing for reasons unknown to most of us and she was either ‘cancelled’ by her own party or ran off shortly afterwards, who knows!. On the other hand, Cllr Fishleigh, who has done a huge amount for her constituents, was nominated for a different award but didn’t get it. The conclusion has to be that this strange awards outfit , whoever they are, should be totally ignored, a conclusion that I suggest many thousands of residents would agree with. Perhaps we should have a ‘Residents’ commendation for service above and beyond the call’ and ignore everything else? The results would be very different, I’m sure, and although you might get a few ‘flakes’ in the voting, I guarantee that they would not be voting for this lady, whoever she is.
Cllr. Fishleigh is not someone who’d endorse a rant about someone else’s work being celebrated, in my experience of the lady.
To be fair, I don’t know ex-cllr Heley, but I don’t think she was cancelled by the Greens. A lot of younger councillors have to juggle their job with being a councillor, which is meant to be a part-time role. Unless she’s much wealthier than the rest of us, I suspect she’s no different in having to work, although councillors do get some financial allowances. She won the young councillor award over 2 years after being elected. She chaired one of the council’s main committees, while pushing through all sorts of changes, some of which may have later proved to be the undoing of the Greens in the elections in May this year.
The shortlisted Labour councillor might have all sorts of good qualities for all we know, but her nomination does seem a bit premature, rather like Barack Obama’s Nobel peace prize. Let’s hope she lives up to the hype!
The basic allowances works out as about 50p an hour, once you calculate the hours actually put in. It isn’t a job to get rich!
This ‘strange awards outfit’ is the Local Government Information Unit – a well respected policy think tank concentrating on local government issues with a membership of over 200 councils of all parties.
Well they’d be advised to do some research first over nominated candidates
Yet to speak at a council meeting yet nominated for national young councillor of the year? A joke. Embarrassing for Bella Sankey too.