Tewkesbury Borough Councillors Tewks South / East
Cllr Cate Cody
Tewkesbury South
I have lived in Tewkesbury for three decades and was the first elected Green on to Tewkesbury Borough Council in 2019, and elected to Tewkesbury Town Council at the same time. In 2021, I became Tewkesbury’s first elected Green Councillor for Tewkesbury Division on Gloucestershire County Council, where I lead the group of Greens.
I found my way into politics in order to help protect our area and give voice to the strong feelings of residents. I really like connecting people, solving problems, and making our area a better place to live. The support I have had from residents has been terrific and I am delighted each time I achieve successful results for them. People said that they have felt especially cared for during the pandemic, as I kept them well-informed via email and phone calls and I continue to send regular emails and flyers throughout the year.
Protecting nature is now a high priority for many people. I am pleased to have been able to make a real difference since I was elected. Tewkesbury Borough Council declared a Climate Emergency in 2019 thanks to my successful motion and Council now has a Carbon Reduction plan. Green issues affecting nature and all of our futures are firmly on the agenda. I’m very proud that through my work, the environment and how we all depend on it is being properly considered across Tewkesbury.
Contact:
Cllr Matt Dimond-Brown
Tewkesbury South
I have lived in the Tewkesbury area for nearly 30 years. I recently retired from GCHQ, having had a wonderful 38-year career there. I am married to Sarah and we have a gorgeous Jack Russell called Paddy.
I am involved in local issues such as planning and road safety which I really enjoy and I also research carbon reduction technology projects to understand more about things like electric cars, solar panels and energy reducing gadgets. I want to get more information to others who would just like some simple answers and possible choices.
I have been a strong supporter of the organic movement for many years and I am also a big rugby fan.
Contact:
Cllr Hilarie Bowman
Tewkesbury East
Many thanks to all the residents in Newtown and Wheatpieces who voted for me in the May 2023 local elections. I have really enjoyed meeting many residents in our ward over this first year as a Borough Councillor. There has been a lot to learn and the Council have supported us well with a variety of trainings covering the many areas that the Borough is responsible for.
I am a member of the following:
Committees
Audit and Governance
Overview and Scrutiny
Standards
Planning Committee (reserve)
Groups
Climate emergency working group
Depot Services
Garden Communities Assurance Board (reserve)
Planning Policy Reference Group
Climate and Ecology Portfolio (support)
Outside Bodies
A46 Member Partnership
Parking &Traffic Regulations Outside London (PATROL) Adjudication Joint Committee (reserve)
Together with my fellow Tewkesbury East Councillor Helena Sundarajoo we respond to many emails from residents about a variety of issues and produce Borough Councillor reports for Wheatpieces Parish Council and Tewkesbury Town Council.
Contact: councillor.bowman@tewkesbury.gov.uk
Cllr Helena Sundarajoo
Tewkesbury East
I went to Tewkesbury School before moving to Hertfordshire to study Advertising and Marketing at University. I then moved to London, where I worked as a Marketing Specialist in various sectors including law, finance, education, and at the prestigious Lord’s Cricket Ground.
As an Assistant Scouts Leader for 6 years in Hertfordshire, I taught the importance of tackling climate change, how to offset our carbon footprint, and how to protect the rivers and animals that live in that habitat.
I moved back to Tewkesbury in 2022. In my spare time, I volunteer at the Tewkesbury Nature Reserve whenever I can. I am also a member of the Tewkesbury Historical Society and I sing with the wonderful Tewkesbury Pub Singers. I am a member of The Friends of the Earth, and I also sit on the Board of Governors for the Church of England School.
I have always been enamoured with nature and the natural world. But I started paying attention to Climate Change and it’s devastating effects after watching Al Gore’s ‘An Inconvenient Truth’. I felt angry and sad and wanted to make a difference in anyway I can. People are making changes in their lives, however small given their constraints, but the onus lies on the corporate sector and our governments, who can make a substantial difference to the environmental pollution and carbon emissions.
Contact:
Gloucestershire County Council
YOUR GREEN COUNCILLOR – Gloucestershire County Council
Tewkesbury Division
In 2021, Cate became Tewkesbury’s first elected Green on Gloucestershire County Council, where she also leads the group of Greens.
Via County in addition to my committee roles, as a passionate cyclist, I sit on the cycling advisory group where l have been working amongst other things to help encourage more children to have cycling proficiency, (I also coordinate the school streets patrol) and for secure cycle storage facilities, (coming soon). I promised I would do my best to get some rural transport for the residents in and around Twyning and I’m delighted that the Robin bus is now in operation and being very well used. I was also a member of the Restoring our Rivers working group, which did an extensive piece of work regarding the state of our rivers. Following this, our County group put forward a budget amendment to provide a research officer to work through the working group’s recommendations (and more).
I am very pleased to say that this person has just started. I am also a member of the Gloucestershire and Severn Vale Citizen Science working group. After I was approached by someone from the NHS, I set up and lead Tewkesbury Dementia Action Alliance, which is part of the broader County Alliance.