Dr Ellie Chowns

I hope you’ve all had a wonderful Easter, with a chance to enjoy the sunshine and birdsong and blossom! The longer days and warmer weather mean that campaigning is even more of a pleasure than in the winter, and I’ve been enjoying a busy month and many fascinating visits. This campaign update covers the month of March. 

Out in the community

I welcomed two very special guests to Herefordshire this month! Jonathon Porritt, the eminent writer and campaigner on sustainability, joined me campaigning in Breinton and Credenhill. And Baroness Jenny Jones, one of the two Green members of the House of Lords, came doorknocking with me in Whitbourne and Ledbury. Jenny in fact has strong Herefordshire roots – she lived in Weobley Marsh for many years. Both Jonathon and Jenny also gave inspiring talks to members and volunteers, and joined me at fundraising events. 

I’ve also been out and about all over the constituency as usual. Here’s a selection of highlights: 

I popped into the regular coffee morning at Bromyard’s Conquest Theatre, and was delighted to be given a behind-the-scenes tour of the theatre. 

I visited Monkland Cheese Dairy to learn about their wonderful artisanal cheese-making and discuss the issues facing small businesses. 

I met with Kate Speke-Adams of Herefordshire Rural Hub to discuss the challenges facing farmers.

I visited Ben Andrews, an organic farmer near Leominster, to learn about his business and discuss nature-friendly farming.

I spent a morning at Ed Godsall’s farm, discussing farming with more than a dozen NFU members – a very positive and constructive conversation. 

And I also spoke at Hereford Cathedral School's politics enrichment day as part of a cross-party panel, and with students at Hereford tech college. 

It’s an immense privilege to be able to meet so many diverse people from all over the constituency; I always enjoy these visits and conversations! 

Village Hall Tour

My 6-month Village Hall Tour concluded with two very well-attended meetings in Leominster and Fownhope in mid-March. Altogether many hundreds of people have attended these events; more than half then signed up to join this email list, and many dozens have volunteered to deliver leaflets, host posterboards, and donate to support the campaign. Wonderful! The village hall tour has been a brilliant opportunity to hear from people in every corner of the constituency about their priorities. People have told me time and again how much they appreciate the fact that our campaign is making the effort to do this – getting out to meet people where they are, listening to them, and giving straight answers to their questions. If elected as MP, this is absolutely something I will continue to do. 

I’m now focusing on going out to meet people at existing events, such as community coffee mornings. If you know of a group that would like to invite me to visit, please do let me know! 

Leaflets

Door knocking

During March we knocked on doors in Kington, Bromyard, Lugwardine, Bartestree, Fownhope, Withington, Credenhill, Breinton, Kings Acre, Stretton Sugwas, Stoke Prior, Holmer, Hope under Dinmore, Whitbourne and Ledbury. Phew! We have now knocked on nearly 20,000 doors and spoken to many thousands of local residents. The response is fantastic. For example, I went doorknocking in Ledbury the other day: 60% of the people I spoke to said they were definitely voting for me, they all offered to host a poster at election time, and several have offered to deliver leaflets. The momentum is building all the time! 

In the media

I was interviewed on BBC Hereford & Worcester’s breakfast show on 21 March re the council’s proposed new roads strategy, and emphasised the need to invest right now in the much cheaper and quicker measures that would be more effective in tackling congestion – like free school buses. On 12 March, the Hereford Times reported on my motion to Herefordshire Council which criticised the government’s proposal to axe the Household Support Fund. I was pleased to be able to persuade colleagues across all parties to support this motion, so that it passed unanimously. Also this month, the Ross Gazette reported on our door-knocking data, showing that I am neck and neck with the Conservative incumbent. 

Fundraising

We’ve held several fundraising events this month, hosted by generous supporters who have kindly opened their homes, organised drinks & canapes or sit-down dinners, and invited their friends, colleagues and neighbours to meet me and hear about our campaign and how we can win a Green MP for North Herefordshire! As a result of these events, we’ve received some significant donations, as well as new volunteers, and I’d like to say an enormous thank you to everyone involved. If you are interested in hosting a fundraising event yourself, please do get in touch to have a chat. 

There’s no getting around the fact that running a campaign of this scale needs money – and it all comes from individuals. So I do need to appeal to supporters: if you are able to contribute financially, please do so. We are only a few short months away from the general election – now is the time to invest in creating real political change. This is the year, this is the constituency, and this is the campaign where your support can make a major difference! If you would like to make a donation now, here is the direct link: https://elliechowns.org.uk/donate/.

If you would like to discuss making a significant donation, please do get in touch with me directly for a chat. Thank you for whatever you are able to contribute; it is enormously appreciated, and the money will be used very carefully and effectively.

To get involved as a campaign volunteer: https://elliechowns.org.uk/get-involved/

To make a donation: https://elliechowns.org.uk/donate/

You received this email because you signed up to Ellie’s mailing list on her website, took a campaign action, or gave us your address at an event. Published and promoted by Helen Heathfield on behalf of Ellie Chowns (Green Party), c/o 2 Canon Frome Court, HR8 2TD.

I’ve been out with my wonderful campaign volunteers in all weathers, including snow, constantly stepping up our campaign in this very winnable seat. My day is always brightened by everyone I meet on the campaign trail. This month I’ve been campaigning with the inspirational Green MP Caroline Lucas.

Here’s a quick update on some of the highlights of the past month ... 

Out in the community

I’ve enjoyed a wide range of visits to businesses, community groups and others all across the county. 

I met with Natalie Amos, Transport Manager at Sargeants Bros bus company, to discuss vital bus services and what needs to be done to support and expand them. 

I visited David Harding at MIND Herefordshire to hear all about the fantastic support they provide to local residents struggling with mental health issues. 

I visited the Herefordshire Skills Show and spoke to dozens of organisations showcasing their training opportunities for local young people. 

I visited Halo’s Feel Good for Life session, which provides an opportunity for people living with dementia and their carers, and others struggling e.g. with loneliness, to come together for a couple of hours of exercise, fun and relaxation! The Halo team provide a range of exercise options including ‘circuits’ and use of the toning suite, and there’s always a talk, a quiz, and of course tea and biscuits. The atmosphere is wonderfully warm and friendly - the organisers know everyone individually, and there’s a team of lovely volunteers helping out too. I spoke to several of the people who’d come along to the session and they were all incredibly warm and enthusiastic about the benefits for their physical and mental health. This sort of provision is clearly so important to help people stay fit and healthy and active for as long as possible. 

And there’s more: I also visited the Leintwardine First Saturday coffee morning; Ledbury Evergreens; History on Broad Street in Bromyard; Ledbury Business Women; and took part in the River Wye ceremony at Herefordshire Council on 9 Feb... 

And of course – I welcomed Caroline Lucas MP to Herefordshire! Caroline gave an inspiring talk to a large audience at the Left Bank on the Friday night, then joined us door-knocking in the constituency on the Saturday.

Village Hall Tour

The village hall tour continues at pace! In February we held 7 events: in Credenhill, Bodenham, Wigmore, Burghill, Wellington, Sutton St Nicholas and Holmer. As always there were lots of great questions and many new people signing up to get involved in the campaign – a warm welcome to all! 

Herefordshire Matters

Thousands of doorsteps

In the past month I’ve been out doorknocking in Tupsley, Lugwardine, Bartestree, Wellington, Leominster, Monkland, Kington, Ledbury, Holmer, and Sutton St Nicholas. 

We've now knocked on many thousands of doors across the whole constituency, and spoken to well over 5000 people about their voting history and 2024 voting intentions. This has given us real ground-level insight into how people are planning to vote in the general election this year. The data (see below) shows that we are neck and neck with the Conservatives! This seat really is winnable for the Greens. People locally are fed up of the old parties and want to see political change. They are impressed by the energy and positivity of our campaign and are telling us that this year they will vote Green! This is brilliant news. This year really is the moment for change and we need all hands on deck, everyone involved, so if you have been wondering about whether to get more involved, now is the time! Please drop me a line, or contact us via the website, to let us know how you’d like to help. 

If you’re not able to contribute time, could you consider chipping in to help cover the campaign costs?

• £40 could pay to boost one of my social media videos for a day
• £1500 could pay for printing 46,000 leaflets 
• £5000 could pay to post a leaflet to 9000 houses that we can’t deliver to by hand

In the media

I was interviewed for Sunshine Radio on 8 Feb about the River Action court case against the Environment Agency regarding protection for the River Wye. And I was interviewed live on BBC Hereford and Worcester on 26 Feb about transport.

Coming up

In March we’ve got the two final village hall tour events, in Leominster and Fownhope. We’ve got nine (9!) big campaign action days planned this month, plus extra door-knocking days during the week. The magazine will be delivered to every household, and we’re getting ready with other literature in case an election is announced for May. I’ve got lots more community visits lined up – and please do continue to send me your suggestions of new places I should go. In short, the campaign is going from strength to strength, thanks to the teamwork of everyone involved. However you are contributing, thank you all very much indeed! 

PS: It’s quite possible that an election might be announced sometime in the next few weeks. We’ve geared up so that we are ready whenever the announcement comes – and we are going to need all hands on deck when it does! So if you can help in any way by giving your time or your money, please do: 

• To get involved as a campaign volunteer: https://elliechowns.org.uk/get-involved/
• To make a donation: https://elliechowns.org.uk/donate/

You received this email because you signed up to Ellie’s mailing list on her website, took a campaign action, or gave us your address at an event. Published and promoted by Helen Heathfield on behalf of Ellie Chowns (Green Party), c/o 2 Canon Frome Court, HR8 2TD.

Spring is coming!  The snowdrops are out in force across Herefordshire, which always lifts my heart!  I hope that, like me, you are enjoying the lengthening days and growing warmth. 

Here’s a quick update on my campaign activities in January... 

Through the letterbox...

My amazing team of leaflet delivery volunteers delivered a total of 31,000 ‘Happy New Year’ cards and letters to residents across the constituency in the first few days of January.  It’s been just lovely to get so many emails, calls and letters thanking me for the card – and on the doorstep, people say how much they appreciated it, too. 

On the doorstep...

This month my campaign has really stepped up a gear in terms of door-knocking.  We held several very successful campaign action days in Leominster (with 40 volunteers) and in Wigmore (with 25 volunteers).   

I’ve also been out door-knocking mid-week with small groups of volunteers, in Shobdon, Withington, Lugwardine, Bartestree, and Tupsley.   

Going forward, we have action days planned every weekend, and midweek sessions every week.  We aim to knock on everyone’s door by April! 

Chatting to voters is fun!  As Ella, one of our regular volunteers, says, “I used to be worried about knocking on people’s doors, but actually the vast majority of people actively welcome us making the effort to come and ask what’s important to them.  It really feels like these conversations make a difference, and that feels great!” 

If you’d like to get involved with chatting to voters, do sign up here: https://elliechowns.org.uk/get-involved/. We provide full training, and plenty of refreshments at action days! 

In the village halls...

My village hall tour has continued, with January events held in Pembridge, Orleton, Dilwyn, Upton Bishop and Much Marcle.  As a result, the campaign recruited 17 new volunteers!  We’ve got seven more village hall events coming up in February: Credenhill, Bodenham, Wigmore, Burghill, Wellington, Sutton St Nicholas and Holmer. 

In the media...

In last week’s Hereford Times you’ll have seen my latest Talking Point column, plus my letter responding to recent polling which puts the Conservative vote share in Herefordshire down to 35%. Since we’re finding on the doorstep that over a third of people plan to vote Green at the next General Election, this underscores how close a contest it is in North Herefordshire!   

In the schools and colleges...

I’ve been reaching out to the next generation of voters, too, with events at Hereford Sixth Form College, at NMITE (Hereford’s new University) and at Hereford Cathedral School.  The students at all three places asked excellent questions and shared their own views on the need to change politics for the better. I've got more such events planned for February. 

All around the county...

I’ve continued to visit wonderful organisations all over the constituency, learning more about their excellent work.

We Are Farming Minds (https://www.wearefarmingminds.co.uk/) is a great charity that works to tackle the stigma around mental health in the farming community in Herefordshire. I attended their excellent Mental Health Awareness workshop and found it very valuable.  We need to invest more in preventive work like this, to help support people before they get to crisis point. 

Services for Independent Living (https://www.s4il.co.uk/), based in Leominster, provides care and support services that enable disabled and older people to make their own choices over how they want to live their lives – supporting people to live in their own homes and within their community.  They have won the Hereford Times ‘Care Employer of the Year’ award two years running – well done SIL!  I really enjoyed meeting Euan McPherson, the chief executive, and a number of the staff team.  Among other things, we discussed the urgent need to link health and social care together better.  The Green Party believes that social care should be funded in the same way as the NHS: free at the point of need. 

Rural Media (https://www.ruralmedia.co.uk/) is a Hereford-based media charity and production house that uses the arts to strengthen communities, develop new talent and influence social change.  They are running a new project aimed at increasing young people’s engagement with politics, and I was delighted to be invited to be part of a cross-party, cross-organisational roundtable on this key topic.  Engaging young people in politics is something I’ve been passionate about for years – which is why I put so much emphasis on this as an MEP, and why I insisted on youth representation on the various boards I was involved in as a council cabinet member. 

Building the team...

Talking of increasing engagement with politics 😊 it’s brilliant that our campaign team is growing all the time, thanks to the groundswell of support from across the county!  In fact, just the other day, someone stopped me in the street in Ledbury and offered to volunteer!  As I always say, politics is a team game – we simply couldn’t run this campaign without this amazing bunch of people who give their time, energy, and money so generously.  It’s wonderful to be part of such a team – and there’s always room for more!  So if you’d like to get involved in some way, please click the links below.  Please do also share this newsletter, and my social media posts, with others who might be interested.  Together we have a real chance to create genuine and much-needed positive change in North Herefordshire! 

To get involved in my campaign: https://elliechowns.org.uk/get-involved/

To donate: https://elliechowns.org.uk/donate/ 

To invite me to talk to a group, or visit a charity or business: email ellie@elliechowns.org.uk

You received this email because you signed up to Ellie’s mailing list on her website, took a campaign action, or gave us your address at an event. Published and promoted by Helen Heathfield on behalf of Ellie Chowns (Green Party), c/o 2 Canon Frome Court, HR8 2TD.

Happy New Year! I hope you’ve had a wonderful, restful and relaxing Christmas and New Year. I switched off the laptop for an entire week 😊 and am now feeling refreshed and ready for an exciting 2024! 

Here’s a quick update on what I got up to in December... 

The Village Hall Tour has been on a Christmas break (we re-start on 18th Jan) and so in December I started a new ‘tour’, aiming to visit all of the Talk Community Hubs in the constituency over the coming months. I had a wonderful time meeting and chatting with volunteers at a wide range of hubs – the sort of places that create the ‘community glue’ that helps makes Herefordshire so strong! And I mixed in a few business visits too... 😊 

Bosbury Brew is a weekly volunteer-run cafe in Bosbury church. I had a delicious lunch there and a lovely chat with volunteers about how valuable the project is in providing space and support for people feeling a bit lonely or isolated. 

The ECHO AGM was definitely the most fun AGM I’ve ever been to! ECHO is a brilliant local disability charity, and I’ve been volunteering there since 2017 as an ‘animator’ at the monthly disco 😊. It’s always an absolute highlight of my month, and the AGM was similarly fun and celebratory! 

I visited not one but TWO Leominster businesses that have both won national awards in 2023: Drapers Lane Deli, and Oldfields Garage. Many congratulations to them both! I also visited Steatite, a Leominster-based high-tech business, and discussed skills training. 

In Kington I had a tour of the exciting community-run ‘Open Arms’ project that is bringing new life to the old Oxford Arms pub. I also visited the Talk Community Hub at the Lion Cafe, and chatted with members of the Veterans’ Support Group. 

I met with two excellent organisations that help support local charities: Herefordshire Community Foundation, and Herefordshire Voluntary Organisations Support Service (HVOSS). 

I went doorknocking in Holmer, Almeley and Staunton-on Wye, and met lots more lovely residents (and dogs)! 

Last but not least, I got properly into the Christmas spirit! I popped in to visit the Ledbury Business Women’s Christmas Expo; sang Handel’s Messiah with the Hereford Choral Society in the cathedral; I won an elf in a raffle held by a local care home; and I did the Hereford Santa Run in aid of St Michael’s Hospice! Many thanks to everyone who sponsored me. Doing the event gave me the push I needed to revisit the brilliant NHS ‘Couch to 5k’ app, and I’ve kept going with it since...wish me luck in getting to the end! 

My column in the Hereford Times on 28 December focused on celebrating all the wonderful people and organisations that make up the Herefordshire community. 

After a lovely restful Christmas with family, I saw in the New Year in the traditional way, with a party with neighbours on New Year’s Eve, then a refreshingly windy walk on the Malvern Hills with some of my oldest friends on New Year’s Day. 

I’m really looking forward to what promises to be an extraordinarily busy and exciting 2024. My team of amazing volunteers are currently delivering New Year cards to residents across the whole constituency, and the next leaflet is already in preparation. I’ll be out meeting people and knocking on doors as much as I possibly can – do come and join me whenever you can! Our first campaign action weekend of the year is on 13/14 January; you can sign up here to get involved in this or any of our other campaigning activities: https://elliechowns.org.uk/get-involved/ 

Image: https://showyourstripes.info/ 

With my very best wishes for a healthy and happy 2024, 

Ellie 

To get involved in my campaign: https://elliechowns.org.uk/get-involved/

To donate: https://elliechowns.org.uk/donate/ 

To invite me to talk to a group, or visit a charity or business: email ellie@elliechowns.org.uk

You received this email because you signed up to Ellie’s mailing list on her website, took a campaign action, or gave us your address at an event. Published and promoted by Helen Heathfield on behalf of Ellie Chowns (Green Party), c/o 2 Canon Frome Court, HR8 2TD.

Hello everyone and welcome to my monthly campaign update, reporting on what I got up to in November. A warm welcome to everyone who signed up to the newsletter in the past month - it's great to have your support, thank you!

Out and about

I’ve been on lots of fascinating visits this month to a range of local businesses. You might have seen my social media posts last week in the run-up to Small Business Saturday, the annual celebration of how important small businesses are to the local economy and society in general. Visits included the wonderful Wye Valley Brewery, where the MD Vernon has taken lots of steps to make things more sustainable, including installing a much more efficient system to generate heat for brewing and then recapture it; lots of PV panels; and things like creating a pond to improve biodiversity.

Later in the month I visited another business that is literally just next door to the brewery: WCM&A. They aren’t a household name because they focus on selling to other businesses – they specialise in making awards and badges. I absolutely loved having a tour around the factory and chatting to the staff – I even got to have a go on one of the badge-making machines! WCM&A’s owners are also very committed to sustainability and have made big efforts to ensure that their materials are ethically sourced – FSC timber, steel from south Wales, etc. 

I also visited Border Oak, where Creative Director Merry and Head of Purchasing and Sustainability Steve talked me through their own efforts to ensure that their timber is sustainably sourced, and to cut their carbon footprint. It’s so impressive to hear about the care and thought that businesses like these put into thinking about the ethics and effects of what they do.

I also visited the award-winning Peter Cooks Bread (Baker of the Year 2022!) to have a chat with Peter. I love the bread from this bakery – in fact I coordinate a weekly Peter Cooks Bread order for my neighbours! 

But it wasn’t all business visits last month. I also attended the New Build Construction Innovation Exhibition in Hereford, the Rural Business Advice Day, the Herefordshire Means Business conference, and the Herefordshire Community Partnership meeting. I visited Garnstone Farm near Weobley, and had a long chat with Steve Klenk, co-chair of Farm Herefordshire. I also attended the Hellens Sustainability Café event with Rupert Read and spoke about my Herefordshire campaign. 

If you know of a group, organisation, charity, business, club etc that would welcome a visit from me, please let me know! 

Village Hall Tour

I’m now more than half way through my Village Hall Tour! I’ve done 17 events so far, with 14 more coming up in January-March. In November I went to Bartestree, Kington, Marden, Leintwardine, Weobley and Tarrington. Each event is slightly different, because it’s all about the questions that people ask – but there is a common thread of lots of really positive feedback, plus lots of new people volunteering to join the campaign. Many thanks to every one of those new volunteers! 

I’m taking a short break from village hall events for the next 6 weeks (since people tend to have other things on in December). The tour re-starts on 18 January in Pembridge.

In the media

My letter to the Hereford Times critiquing Rishi Sunak’s policy on fossil fuels seems to have sparked a bit of back and forth in the letters pages... I’m heartened to see how many people are writing positive letters regarding my campaign and Green ideas. I got involved in politics myself a few years ago because I thought it was important to speak out, so I am grateful to everyone who uses their voice for good in any public arena! 

I was quoted at length in an article in The House magazine (the cross-party Westminster parliamentary magazine) regarding sustainable building: https://www.politicshome.com/thehouse/article/salvaging-future-britain-build-sustainably.

I’ve been posting very regularly on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter - thank you to everyone who follows my channels and likes and share my posts. 

Leaflet deliveries

My latest leaflet was delivered via Royal Mail to every household (42,000) in Herefordshire – the first time our campaign has done this. I’ve had lots of really positive feedback on the leaflet, including emails and phone calls from local residents. However it seems there have been one or two glitches with the Royal Mail delivery, meaning that a few people mysteriously didn’t receive their leaflet – if this was the case for you, please do let me know, thank you. 

Our next leaflet has been sent to the printers and will be distributed by our wonderful delivery volunteers in early January. We now have more than 200 volunteers involved in 20 leaflet delivery teams – many hands make light work! 😊 If you can spare a couple of hours every 6 weeks or so to deliver leaflets near you, at whatever time suits you, then please let us know by signing up here: https://elliechowns.org.uk/get-involved/. 

Campaign action days

We held two campaign action days, in Moreton on Lugg and in Bartestree, with dozens of volunteers taking part – an enormous thank you to them all! Volunteers have been joining us in Herefordshire from all around, including Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Shropshire, Birmingham and Leicester!

The combination of volunteers’ energy plus the positive responses on the doorsteps mean these days are always great fun. Come along and join us! You can sign up here for alerts about upcoming action days. 

I’ve also been doorknocking during the week in Wellington, Staunton on Wye, and Edwyn Ralph... and of course one of the highlights is meeting so many friendly dogs! In fact I used to be scared of dogs, but I’ve come to love them – I meet so many out campaigning that I had to overcome my fear and now I even dream of having my own cocker spaniel! 😊 

Christmas is coming!

One of the highlights (boom boom) of November was the ‘Light Up Leominster’ festival, with a brilliant parade of extraordinary creative lanterns! And it seemed like the whole town was out to celebrate... 

I’m getting into the Christmas spirit too – I’ve signed up to do the Santa Run on 17th December in aid of the brilliant St Michael’s Hospice! The hospice is close to my heart (it cared for my good friends Jenny and Peter) and I know many people in Herefordshire feel the same. 

If you’d like to sponsor me, here’s the Justgiving link: https://www.justgiving.com/page/ellie-chowns-santa-run-2023 

I can’t promise to run the entire thing non-stop (!) but I’ve been assured that it’s very relaxed, so I’m thinking of it more as a ‘Santa Saunter’ 😊. 

I’ll be taking some time to rest and relax with family and friends over Christmas to recharge my batteries ready for General Election year 2024! 

Thank you for all your support, and I wish you a very merry and restful Christmas. 

Here’s to campaign success in 2024! 

With warmest best wishes, 

Ellie 

PS If you would like to get more involved in my campaign, please let me know! 

To get involved with leafletting or doorknocking, or let us know about other ways you’d like to help: https://elliechowns.org.uk/get-involved/

To donate: https://elliechowns.org.uk/donate/

To invite me to talk to a group, or visit a charity or business: email ellie@elliechowns.org.uk

You received this email because you signed up to Ellie’s mailing list on her website, took a campaign action, or gave us your address at an event. Published and promoted by Helen Heathfield on behalf of Ellie Chowns (Green Party), c/o 2 Canon Frome Court, HR8 2TD.

Hello everyone and welcome to my latest campaign update email! Many thanks to all those who have signed up in the past month – my mailing list is growing exponentially 😊.

Village Hall Tour

Many people have signed up to this update after attending one of my #VillageHallTour meetings. I’ve given 13 so far, and they are going really well! Audience sizes range widely, but one thing is common – attendees are really enjoying them. I’ve received many lovely comments on the feedback sheets. People tell me I’ve given them a real sense of hope and many new volunteers have joined the campaign. The picture above is from the recent #VillageHallTour event in Ledbury. 

Constituency Visits

I’ve been on a wide range of visits over the past month, from the Trumpet Ploughing Match (where my flapjack and chocolate brownie won prizes in the Domestic Section!) to the Hereford and Worcester Group Training Association where I met an inspiring bunch of young apprentices full of enthusiasm... I also visited Herefordshire and North Shropshire College technology faculty and had a sneak preview of their new Low Carbon Technology Training Centre; helped out at the first Growing Local community volunteer day; visited two local eco architecture companies, Architype and Arbor Architects; helped out at the Leominster Apple Fair; took part in the Herefordshire Food Network’s Harvest Breakfast, learned about soil testing and the sustainable farming incentive from Farm Herefordshire, and much more besides! I met the Chief Fire Officer for Herefordshire and Worcestershire, and attended a fascinating briefing with the Chair and Managing Director of Herefordshire General Practice. Photos of some of these events and meetings are above. All these events are deepening my understanding of Herefordshire’s challenges and opportunities. And it’s simply wonderful to meet so many people who are working so hard for the good of the county! 

Action Days

We held two very successful campaign Action Days in Bodenham and in Hampton Bishop. In Bodenham I even bumped into my son’s former class tutor from John Masefield High School! As usual we had a fantastic team of volunteers helping at each action day, and the feedback on the doorstep has continued to be incredibly positive. People really appreciate the effort we are making to reach out - they are crying out for change, and are delighted that the Greens are offering it in North Herefordshire!

Media

I was delighted to feature in the Green Party’s Party Political Broadcast, which was shown on TV on Friday 6th October. If you haven’t seen it yet, catch up with it here: https://youtu.be/j1MrrGsxTkE?si=FS5xAfjktFp4Pks. 

My latest column in the Hereford Times was published, challenging Rishi Sunak’s decision to row back on the government’s Net Zero commitments.

I took part in a radio panel discussion on Ayesha Hazarika’s show on Times Radio on 29 October, discussing Gaza and artificial intelligence with a Labour MP, a Conservative MP, and the political editor of the Daily Express. 

Earlier in the month I was delighted to be endorsed by local resident Kevin McCloud of Grand Designs, when he was discussing politics with Jane Garvey and Fi Glover! 

And I was chuffed to catch up with the wonderful Saku (of the Great British Bake-Off fame, and also a Herefordshire Council employee) at a recent council briefing – and yes of course I took a selfie😊. It’s been brilliant to see how well she has done in the competition! 

I was honoured to represent the Green Party at the recording of the first Reith Lecture of 2023. Professor Ben Ansell is giving this year’s lectures on the theme of ‘Our Democratic Future’. In the Q&A, I asked Prof Ansell to elaborate on how we can achieve a fairer voting system. The lecture will be broadcast on Friday 29th November. 

I’m delighted that Dom Johnson has joined my staff team as my Comms Officer – it's brilliant to have him on board. And a special thanks to some of my comms volunteers - Simon who is helping me with social media, and to Jon for taking some stunning photos! 

Coming up...

Now that the clocks have gone back, the days are shorter – but there is still plenty of daylight for campaigning! We have action days coming up in Moreton-On-Lugg and in Bartestree – please sign up below if you’d like to join us.

Also coming up in November are more Village Hall Tour events, lots more constituency visits, and my next leaflet which will be delivered to every house in the constituency. The campaign is going from strength to strength, and it’s thanks to all of you! Thank you so much for your support; it is enormously appreciated. 

With very best wishes,
Ellie

You received this email because you signed up to Ellie’s mailing list on her website, took a campaign action, or gave us your address at an event. Published and promoted by Helen Heathfield on behalf of Ellie Chowns (Green Party), c/o 2 Canon Frome Court, HR8 2TD.

Hello

Welcome to my monthly supporter newsletter and campaign update. Thanks so much for signing up to keep in touch. The campaign has certainly hit the ground running this month! Read on to find out more about:

• Constituency visits 
• In Westminster 
• On TV 
• Village Hall Tour 

• Campaign Action Days 
• Amazing volunteers 
• Celebrating Herefordshire
• And more!

Constituency visits

I’ve been out and about visiting lots of people and places over the past month, including Healthwatch Herefordshire, Growing Local, NMITE, Ledbury Community Hospital, Hereford Hospital Patient Engagement Team, the Age UK ‘Living Well’ event at Burley Gate village hall, Bishops Frome’s Macmillan Coffee morning, and much more!

In Westminster

I went to Westminster to film the Green Party’s next Party Political Broadcast, which will be shown on TV on Friday 6th October. The short film features Caroline Lucas MP plus four key target candidates including myself - i.e the next generation of Green MPs. We were blessed with good weather which was a relief since it was all filmed outside!

I also attended the NFU’s ‘Back British Farming’ reception in the Houses of Parliament.

On TV

I appeared on the BBC Politics Midlands show on Sunday 1st October discussing HS2, upcoming byelections, and local government finances.

You can see a clip on my social media channels, or watch the whole programme here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001r412/politics-midlands-01102023.

Village Hall Tour

I launched my Village Hall Tour in mid-September, with the very first event held on my ‘home patch’ in Bishops Frome. Events were also held in Bosbury and Eardisley, and there are another eight coming up in October.

Altogether I’ll be speaking at 31 Village & Town Halls in North Herefordshire over the coming few months. I think it’s vital that politicians reach out to meet, talk with and listen to local residents and I have really enjoyed each of these events so far! Big thanks to the wonderful team of volunteers that’s helping to run these events - especially Marion who has done all the organising, and Carole who is single-handedly delivering all the flyers!

Campaign action days

We held two campaign action days this month (fondly known as ‘Big Days Out’) - in Ledbury on 9th September and in Bromyard on 23rd September - big thank you to everyone who came to join in. We knocked on doors to chat with voters, and delivered leaflets too. And of course we shared a delicious lunch – and my home-made flapjack helped fuel us as we worked on increasing our step count! 😊

I’ve started a new photo series and hashtag on my social media channels – #DogsOnDoorsteps – I keep meeting lovely dogs when I am out and about knocking on doors!

Why not come and join one of our Big Days Out? We hold them on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month, in different locations all over the constituency. Sign up here to join us! Lunch is provided, and we can arrange transport from the nearest train station too. It’s a great way to meet other campaigners and makes a big difference to our campaign, helping us meet our target of knocking on the door of every voter in North Herefordshire.

We’re finding that people really, really appreciate us calling on them. So many people tell me on the doorstep that they are tired of 13 years of Conservative mismanagement and they just want an MP who is principled, hardworking and effective. Local voters agree that we need more Green MPs in Westminster and are delighted to see how active and effective the Greens are locally. We’ve knocked on thousands of doors and spoken to well over 2000 people already, and over a third of voters locally now tell us they plan to vote Green at the next General Election, putting us a close second to the Conservatives. With your help, we can reach more residents and persuade more people that we really can change politics for the better here in North Herefordshire!

Amazing volunteers - delivery teams are go!

In September we organised our biggest-ever leaflet delivery operation, hand-delivering a campaign leaflet to more than 30,000 houses all across North Herefordshire. This mammoth effort is only possible thanks to our brilliant Team Coordinators and their Delivery Volunteers. We have more than 200 (wow!) volunteers already helping with leaflet delivery, which is just fantastic – thank you all! There’s always room for more to join the team and help share the load – could you take on a delivery round in your local area? It’s not a big commitment, only about 1-2 hours every 3 months, with complete flexibility to do it at a time that suits you. Our next leaflet delivery is due in late November, sign up here to get involved. 

Celebrating Herefordshire

I rounded off September with a visit to the launch of AppleFest 2023 in Hereford High Town. This was a joyful celebration of everything Apple (and Pear) with brilliant music from local choirs and colleges. I absolutely love Herefordshire’s apple heritage and am very much looking forward to harvesting and juicing the apples on my own farm in the coming few weeks, along with my friends and neighbours.

Don’t miss the Big Apple Harvesttime Festival in Much Marcle (14-15 October) and the Leominster Apple Fair on 21st October. See you there! 

That's all for this month. Please do send me your feedback on this newsletter – is it too long or too short? Do you want more photos or less? Let us know what you think.

Thank you so much for your support. If you’d like to get more involved, please click here to sign up to help with leaflet delivery or with chatting to voters: https://elliechowns.org.uk/get-involved/ and please click here to donate: https://elliechowns.org.uk/donate/. I promise we will use your time and your money as carefully and as effectively as we possibly can.

Thank you again!

With very best wishes,
Ellie

You received this email because you signed up to Ellie’s mailing list on her website, took a campaign action, or gave us your address at an event. Published and promoted by Helen Heathfield on behalf of Ellie Chowns, c/o 2 Canon Frome Court, HR8 2TD.