Beyond the Bottomline

Lesley Clarke OBE – The Active Role of Women Working in Local Government – How You Can Make a Difference

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Women in Local Government – The place of women here and the benefits we can bring to our community. How local government works and what you can do. The practicalities – volunteer, employee or what…

My guest today is Lesley Clarke OBE, District Councillor, Charter Trustee, Mayor, County Councillor, Council Leader and Chairman of WLGS, the society which has created the Suffrage Pioneers Project to celebrate 100 years of universal suffrage.

We will be discussing:

  • Women in Local Government – The place of women here and the benefits we can bring to our community by taking an active role
  • How local government works and what you can do – If we would like to become involved how do we go about it? What do we need to do?
  • What are the range of roles or positions that can we aspire to? Do we need any special training or a particular background to enter into this field?
  • The practicalities – volunteer, employee or what?Is the work we would do in local government normally on a volunteer basis, as a part time job, full time job or what type of commitment do we need to give to achieve something positive?


    • Lesley Clarke OBE – First elected to Wycombe District Council in 1991, a Charter Trustee for the town, Mayor in 1994/95 and County Councillor since 2001. Leader of Wycombe District Council in 2003 for 8 years, Lesley became Chairman in 2014 (Wycombe is the 4th largest Disctrict Council in England). Chairman of the Women’s Local Government Society in 2007 which started the project Suffrage Pioneers in 2015 to find 100 Suffragists to celebrate the 100 years of universal suffrage – In 2018 WLGS achieved their gaol! Awarded the OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2013.

    You can find Lesley on the web:

    • Website – Suffrage Pioneers
    • Social Media –  twitter
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      Beyond the BottomlineBy Anna Cook