Jessica Metheringham
Thank you for voting me on to council six years ago, and as Chair four years ago. As I said two years ago, it’s been a real privilege to serve – and it very much continues to be a privilege!
Unlock Democracy is going from strength to strength, and I’ll like us to continue in the same direction. We have excellent staff, we’re doing a lot of effective networking with other campaigners in the democracy sector, and we are certainly becoming the organisation which others look to for clear facilitation and project management. We’re playing a leading role in the new cross-organisational PR campaign, and we have been growing our membership.
If I’m re-elected
I would be willing to stand as Chair again, depending on the other candidates. I’ll be an enthusiastic member of the team regardless. I will prioritise these three things:
1. Being proactive in our campaigns, particularly around PR. I feel that this is the thing which is likely to bear most fruit at the moment.
2. Working with other democracy campaigners and making sure that we network across the sector.
3. Thinking more about creative campaigning. To be honest, I’m not sure what this might look like at the moment!
We’ve done well over the last couple of years, and I think we can improve further.
About me
I’ve worked for an MP, for the Electoral Commission and the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, and as parliamentary liaison for campaigning organisations. I have experience of campaigning on issues such as political lobbying, civil society, sustainability, peace education, nuclear weapons, welfare, housing, criminal justice, and immigration.
My main job at the moment is designing board games. I have two large games published (Library Labyrinth and Disarm the Base), as well as two smaller games, and more than a dozen games and puzzles on greetings cards. The games I design have political leanings, with one game about the peace movement, one about inspirational women, and others about removing plastic from the ocean or watering plants. I also work in schools, showing children how to design their own games. I am on the board of The Green Games Guide (greengamesguide.com), which campaigns for more environmentally friendly board games.
I was not a member of any political party when I worked in Parliament, I am not a member of any political party now, and I don't have any intention of joining one.