It seems strange to be writing an entry in this month’s edition as Wiltshire Councillor after years of reading Richard Gamble’s updates! I must start by thanking Richard for his dedication and passion in supporting us as residents of The Lavingtons for so many years.
For those of you who quite understandably have been focused on your families and navigating this strange Covid-orientated way of life and thus may have missed my leaflets posted through your doors during the election campaign, I will give you a brief (I promise!) summary of who I am.
I grew up in Marlborough and moved to West Lavington four years ago with my wife Emily and our two children. It is a strange thing growing up in a small rural community, many of us strive to move away to university or to jobs far from home as soon as we get the chance to escape! Some never return but in my experience most do, perhaps with partners and children in tow or simply with a pile of washing and a hefty overdraft!
It always makes me smile when, on the walk to DAPS with my own children, I pass people who, not too many years ago, I was at school with myself. Despite leaving Wiltshire for the south coast and then living in Europe for a few years there is something positively magnetic in Wiltshire that brings us back or keeps us rooted in the first place.
My aim as a Wiltshire Councillor is to protect the things that create this magnetism and make this part of the country such a fantastic place to live. Our countryside with its wonderful walking, cycling and horse-riding opportunities, the flowers and fauna that we see every day, the local pubs, cafes, and retailers that create warmth and soul and the schools and community groups which become a heart to our villages.
My focus will be split across my work representing residents of The Lavingtons as well as my role as Portfolio Holder for Education. The support of our Early Years settings and schools, and the children in their care, is something I feel very passionate about.
As a closing thought I wanted to raise the importance of “community”. We have seen how brilliantly communities work when they come together during a pandemic. Volunteers stepped-up to support our vulnerable residents, many people came forward offering to do food shops and prescription runs. Thankfully the darkest days of the Covid pandemic seem to be behind us and therefore we have an opportunity to remain standing shoulder-to-shoulder for a new purpose.
Get involved in the exciting local projects they are being coordinated by the Parish Council (www.westlavington.org.uk), create a local Facebook group based around a hobby and get others involved, join the Village Hall committee, get down to the pub every week with your friends to play cards or have a chat. Communities don’t come pre-prepared, we build them. Let’s get involved!
You may contact me about this or any other matter by email to dominic.muns@wiltshire.gov.uk or by phone on 07585 394 178.
