Campaign Diary: Day 12 - finding out how volunteers in Offton and Somersham save lives

A Monday evening, and Ros and I were on our way to Offton, the second largest of the seven villages in Barking and Somersham by voting population - there are two more voters on the register here than in Barking. The trip had two purposes, firstly to do some canvassing and for me to meet more voters, second for me to attend the Offton and Willisham Annual Parish Meeting at Offton's relatively new Village Hall.

The sun was streaming down on what had turned out to be a rather nice evening, and we headed for the area near the Village Hall to knock on some doors. Our first leaflet had clearly hit doormats on schedule, and those that we got to speak to were happy enough to talk to us. And that, perhaps is the first hurdle to get across when you're canvassing. If people are hostile, it can be a bit dispiriting, but if people are willing to give you a hearing, then you can have a conversation, something I enjoy.

I left Ros to carry on, whilst I headed for the Village Hall, where I ran into Mark, who was standing by the new play equipment, not yet open for use (the newly seeded grass is still establishing itself). Mark is the Community First Responder for Offton, a volunteer who is trained to attend emergency calls received by the ambulance service and provide care until the ambulance arrives. In rural areas particularly, where an ambulance might be some way away, having someone nearby who can arrive quicker, can be the difference between life and death.

Having exchanged a few words with Mark, I went into the hall itself to meet with the Parish Councillors and representatives of key community groups (church, village hall committee and the like) and introduce myself. They might not have been expecting me, but they made me very welcome - the cup of tea was particularly appreciated.

I sat through the meeting, listening to the reports, including that of the County Councillor, Julia Truelove. Julia was elected in Ros's place when she stood down in 2005, and has carried on serving the communities across Bosmere ever since, and has offered helpful advice in terms of campaigning ideas.

At the end of the meeting, I was asked if I would like to say a few words. As I hadn't prepared anything - I hadn't intended to gatecrash their event, and was the only one of the four candidates in attendance - I simply introduced myself, explained what I would hope to do if elected, and asked if anyone had any questions. There weren't any, although, if I do get elected, I thoroughly expect that to change!

All in all, a very pleasant and informative evening, but time doesn't stand still, and I had to get home for more campaign preparation. All I could hope was that I'd made a good impression...

Campaign Diary: Day 3 - my first campaign event

And so, Ros and I set off for Baylham yesterday morning. The sun was shining and the Gipping Valley was resplendent, with fields full of oil-seed rape in Liberal Democrat yellow (mere coincidence, I assure you), and the foliage that shade of green that you get before the summer sun starts to fade it, crisp and lush. I was reminded that May is my favourite time of year in these parts.

Baylham is a village of about two hundred and fifty people, in the south-east corner of the ward. Until 2005 or so, it was in the Gipping Valley county division but boundary changes meant that it was added to Bosmere at the time that Ros gave up that division. It is home to John Field, one of the four Liberal Democrats on Mid Suffolk District Council, and also the County Councillor for Gipping Valley, and, as I walked up the steps and into the Village Hall, there he was, waiting to introduce me to some of his neighbours.

Campaigning is not something that comes easily to a lot of people. Putting a leaflet through a door is one thing, but actually talking to people, many of whom you might not know, can be pretty daunting, especially if you haven't done it for a little while. Luckily, most people I've met in mid-Suffolk are pretty friendly, and it wasn't long before I was introducing myself to people as they stood and chatted, "Hi, I'm Mark, the Liberal Democrat candidate in the by-election in four weeks time."

Word had got around that David Card had resigned, even though they hadn't yet heard that a by-election had been called, and they seemed happy to talk.

Village halls are at the core of community life but they can be difficult to maintain, especially for smaller villages. They're often relatively elderly, hard to keep warm and need refurbishment. For example, Baylham's was built in 1927 of wooden construction and was refurbished in 1993. It costs about £1,500 per annum to cover the cost of light, heat, water and insurance, and that's before you consider maintenance costs.

Money has to be raised by holding events, hosting parties and events, and that is done by a clutch of volunteers who work tirelessly to keep everything ticking over. And, when so many couples both work, there is less time to support the fabric of their community. Many villages rely on the enthusiasm of a small hardcore of individuals to ensure that vital village facilities and institutions are there to serve the community and, if I were to be elected on 2 June, one of my key aims would be to support the village communities across the ward to keep village halls going.

I did get to eat my cake, eventually (note, I skipped breakfast so that I could have cake instead and stick to my diet), and I have to say that it was a very good Victoria sponge, nice and light, good jam filling.

Fortified, and happier for having got the campaign off to a good start, I thanked John and Kay, his wife and our stalwart Local Party Secretary, for inviting me, and Ros and I set off for a drive around the villages, as much to look at them in terms of how best to organise my visits over the coming weeks.

There are seven villages that, together, form the Barking and Somersham ward. Barking runs south-west from the edge of Needham Market, and includes the opera house at Kennels Farm, home of the Barrandov Opera, of which I have written in the past. Offton and Willisham come next, two villages sharing a parish council, and then, as you turn towards Ipswich, you reach Somersham, the largest village in the ward. Nettlestead is then slightly north of Somersham, before a drive through narrow country lanes brings you back to Baylham. Last, but certainly not least, is Darmsden. This is the smallest village in the ward although, in truth, it's more of a hamlet at the end of a narrow lane that runs of the old Ipswich to Stowmarket road.

We stopped in Somersham to visit the Community Shop. When Ros was the county councillor, she worked hard to protect the old village shop, gaining rate relief and doing whatever she could to keep it viable. Sadly, it eventually closed in 2007, but, thanks to a dedicated campaign group, the Somersham and District Community Shop opened in 2012 as a Community Interest Company, run by volunteers. We were keen to see what the District Council could do to ease the regulatory burden upon them, so we dropped in to talk and buy a soft drink each.

So, having gotten a sense of how I'm going to organise my campaign, it was time to head for home. There were leaflets to design, lists to write... for tomorrow was another day...