Local Democracy Week 2019

Local Democracy Week 2019

Local Democracy Week events

Local Democracy Week is a way of helping people to have a voice and be actively involved in the things that really matter in our local communities. In Kirklees, we’re celebrating throughout October. Here are the events we know about so far. Or if you’d like to organise your own event or activity, here are some tips: Will you be part of Local Democracy Week?


Listening to Birstall

Can we ask you about Birstall?

places in Birstall

Tuesday 1st October, from 1pm to 3pm
Friday 4th October, from 10am to 12 noon
Birstall Library, Market Street, Birstall, Batley WF17 9EN

Councillors, volunteers from Birstall and staff from Kirklees Council are out and about in Birstall, Fieldhead, Cambridge Road and Nova from 16th September to 4th October, asking what citizens think about life in Birstall. You can come along to one of these drop-in activities to take part. Or have a look at the website for more ways to join in:

Listening to Birstall | Drop-in activities


Democracy Seekers

What do councillors do?

citizens looking for information

Wednesday 2nd October, from 5.30pm to 7pm
Cafe Ollo, The Media
Centre, 7 Northumberland Street, Huddersfield HD1 1RL

Want to help improve our local democracy? Come and talk about what you want and expect from your local councillor, and how we can make it easier for citizens to find out what councillors do. Democracy Seekers get-togethers are informal discussions and workshops, open to anyone who is interested in helping to grow a stronger local democracy here in Kirklees. Free. Refreshments available from 5pm.

Register to take part in the event | About Democracy Seekers


Your Future, Your Voice

Advice for Kirklees College students

8th October from 8.30am to 1pm
Kirklees College atrium, Waterfront Quarter, Manchester Road, Huddersfield HD1 3LD

9th October from 8.30am to 1pm
Kirklees College, Springfield Sixth Form Centre, Bradford Road, Dewsbury WF13 2NP

The Kirklees Electoral Services outreach team will have an information stall on site offering support and advice for students. We’ll be talking to young people about the benefits of being on the electoral register and voting. Come and find out how to make your voice heard in decisions that affect your future.


Ask Meltham

Find out what people said about life in Meltham

Meltham

Wednesday 9th October, from 11am to 7pm
The Carlisle Institute, Huddersfield Road, Meltham, Holmfirth HD9 4AG


Local volunteers have been out and about in Meltham, Helme and Wilshaw asking what life in the area is like. Meltham Town Council would like to invite you along to see what we’ve learned and talk about what might happen next.

Ask Meltham | Meltham Town Council


Democracy Commission Working Group

Growing a stronger local democracy

Watch live

Thursday 10th October, 9am to 10.30am
Live tweet
/ Live webcast

Hear about our latest work to grow a stronger local democracy in Kirklees from our Working Group. The group are councillors from different political parties, who are working with citizens, council officers and partners to respond to our Democracy Commission’s 48 recommendations for a stronger local democracy.

Working Group


Ask Shelley

What’s life like in Shelley village?

places in Shelley

14th October from 6.30pm to 7.30pm
Shelley Village Hall, 98 Huddersfield Road, Shelley, Huddersfield HD8 8HE

We’d like to ask you some questions about what life in Shelley village is like. We know that people make great places, so we’d like to ask how you feel about being here. Drop in to see us, or look out for volunteers from the village and staff from Kirklees Council out and about in Shelley from 8th to 24th October. You can also request a home visit or take part online.

Ask Shelley


Working in a political environment

Training for Kirklees Council staff

Councillors in the council chamber

Tuesday 15th October, from 10am to 12 noon
Reception Room, Huddersfield Town Hall, Corporation Street, Huddersfield HD1 2ET

Want to find out more about working in a democratic organisation? Take part in our next workshop for Kirklees Council staff. You’ll hear about the importance of the councillor role, learn the basics about wards and councillors in Kirklees, and find out how our staff and councillors can work together effectively.

To book please email: julie.mcdowell@kirklees.gov.uk


The Benefits of a Parish Council

A free talk, organised by NALC

people in their community

Tuesday 15th October from 1pm
St James Parish Church, 1 St James Way,

Rawthorpe, Huddersfield HD5 9SH

Parish and Town councils give neighbourhoods a voice and help people to feel more involved in the decisions that affect them. Come along to this free talk by Derek Liddell to find out more about the potential benefits of a local council for your area. You’ll be able to ask questions, hear some examples and get advice. Derek is the vice-chair of NALC (the National Association of Local Councils). NALC represents the interests of 10,000 parish and town councils in England. Free. Refreshments available.


What our young citizens want

Launching the “Growing a stronger youth council” report

Kirklees Youth councillors

Friday 18th October, from 2pm to 3.30pm
Council Chamber, Huddersfield Town Hall, Corporation Street, Huddersfield HD1 2ET

This year Kirklees Youth Council have been supporting a group of Young Commissioners to explore how we can inspire the active citizens of tomorrow. Together we’ve gathered evidence from over 1,700 children and young people in Kirklees.

Join us to hear what young people told us about having a voice, getting involved in community life, and how we can help them to grow the skills, confidence and connections that they want, in the way that they want. At this event we’ll be sharing our “Growing a stronger youth council” report, based on our year of learning, including our recommendations for the future. Come along to hear from our Young Commissioners and Kirklees Youth Councillors about their experiences, and find out how you can help.

Register to take part in ‘What our young citizens want’


Batley: 150 years on

Celebrating with Batley school children

Batley 150

Tuesday 22nd October, 9.30am to 12 noon
Batley Town Hall, Market Place, Batley WF17 5DE

Batley has celebrated 150 years since the foundation of Batley Borough Council, when Queen Victoria granted the Royal Charter that meant Batley could govern itself and provide services and buildings for the good of local residents.

We’re inviting Batley schools to bring children aged 9 to 11 to come and discover Batley’s heritage and find out more about today’s council. Participants will be able to meet local councillors, see the original Charter, and take part in activities to learn how young people can make a difference in Batley today.

To book please email: susan.ginty@kirklees.gov.uk


Batley 150

Inspiring local community involvement

Batley 150

Tuesday 22nd October, 6.30pm to 8.30pm
Batley Town Hall, Market Place, Batley WF17 5DE

Batley has celebrated 150 years since the foundation of Batley Borough Council, when Queen Victoria granted the Royal Charter that meant Batley could govern itself and provide services and buildings for the good of local residents.

We’re inviting citizens to come and discover more about Batley’s democratic heritage, see the Royal Charter, meet your local councillors and find out more about their role, hear from some of our inspiring young people about their involvement in local democracy, and learn about lots of opportunities for you to get involved in civic life and make a difference in Batley today.

Register to take part in Batley 150 | About Batley 150


Ask Honley

Can we ask you about life in Honley?

Church Street in Honley

Starts 25th October
In places in and around Honley

Local organisations including Honley Business Association, Honley Village Trust, Honley Civic Society, Honley Library, Honley Junior and Infant School, St Mary’s Church and Trinity Church are getting together under the name “Friends of Honley Community” to find out what people think about life in Honley. Full details will be posted on the How Good Is Our Place? website soon.

How good is our place?


Big Local Conversation in Ashbrow

Deighton, Sheepridge, Fartown, Bradley, Cowcliffe and Fixby

The Big Local Conversation

Ends 26th October
Places in the Ashbrow ward of Huddersfield

Ashbrow ward councillors, volunteers from local organisations and staff from Kirklees Council have been out and about since the summer, asking how people feel about life in Ashbrow. There’s still time to take part…

The Big Local Conversation in Ashbrow


Our Fight for the Voting Right

Learn about our local suffragist and suffragette heritage

Dora Thewlis

Open Saturdays & Sundays in October from 12 noon to 5pm
School Holidays: Tuesday to Thursday from 11am to 5pm

Tolson Museum, Wakefield Road, Dalton, Huddersfield HD5 8DJ

Discover fascinating local stories in this special exhibition. See Florence Lockwood’s iconic Votes for Women banner and learn more about 16 year old Dora Thewlis, who was arrested and imprisoned for marching on Parliament. Free exhibition. Accessible by stairs only.

Tolson Musuem | Women’s Suffrage in Kirklees


A Woman’s Work is Never Done

Part of “We are West Yorkshire”

Open Saturdays & Sundays in October from 12 noon to 5pm
School Holidays: Tuesday to Thursday from 11am to 5pm

Tolson Museum, Wakefield Road, Dalton, Huddersfield HD5 8DJ

This photographic exhibition explores the lives of women during the 19th and early 20th centuries in roles as diverse as rag sorters and bomb makers, discovers the limitations placed on women’s work and reveals the opportunities created by the First World War. Part of “We Are West Yorkshire”, a programme of exhibitions that celebrate some of the different qualities that make West Yorkshire so unique.

This exhibition draws extensively from the Kirklees Image Archive, a digitised collection of over 60,000 images curated and managed by Kirklees Museums and Galleries.

We are West Yorkshire | Kirklees Image Archive


Disrupt? Peterloo and Protest

National exhibition commemorating Peterloo

The Skelmanthorpe Flag

Open daily from 10am to 5pm
People’s History Museum,
Left Bank
Spinningfields, Manchester M3 3ER

Part of the national commemorations marking 200 years since the Peterloo Massacre in Manchester in 1819, this headline exhibition for 2019 tells the story of Peterloo and highlights its relevance today, examining issues within our democracy that people are campaigning for 200 years on.

Amongst the Peterloo artefacts brought together for the very first time, you can see the newly restored Skelmanthorpe flag. This rare survivor of our democratic heritage was made locally in Almondbury and used in Chartist rallies throughout the 19th Century. It’s on loan from Kirklees Museums, featured alongside pieces that tell more recent stories of protest. It’s free to visit, with a suggested donation for £5, and the exhibition is open until February 2020.

Disrupt? Peterloo and Protest


About our partner events – We welcome other local organisations who want to get involved in Local Democracy Week in Kirklees. Please note that the content of partner events does not necessarily represent the views or policies of Kirklees Council.

If you’d like to organise your own event or activity, here are some tips:
Will you be part of Local Democracy Week?