Social media sensation and parish council expert Jackie Weaver is encouraging people in Gloucestershire to get involved in local politics.
The Cheshire Association of Local Councils chief officer became an overnight sensation after footage of her being heckled at a meeting by parish councillors was shared online earlier this year.
This week she took part in a Q&A session hosted by Cotswold District Council’s on their YouTube page.
Council leader Joe Harris asked her what she felt the main barriers are to people getting involved with their parish councils.
“Knowledge,” Ms Weaver said.
“One of the things we find difficult is that it’s both a blessing and a curse that we are so parochial.
“We tend to be very quiet and work in the background most of the time and don’t shout about what we do. Consequently, we don’t tend to spread the word.”
She said there are some councils that wilfully do not represent their communities.
But often many councils would welcome interest from people who are younger and from more diverse backgrounds.
“It’s about how we bring those parties together for people to say I might be interested.
“I put a challenge out there to the community. It’s really about encouraging the parishes to be open but also for the community to take a step towards them.”
Ms Weaver said people do not have to “sell their souls and bodies” to get involved with their local council.
They can get involved as much or as little as they can and want to.
“One of the things I’ve been banging on about over the last three months is inclusivity in the total sense of the word,” she said.
“There’s something you can do as an individual to involve you in local democracy. And you can find the level at which you want to make that contribution.
“Even if you only bear witness. You will look at what the council is doing, you will provide a scrutiny role, that in itself is helpful.
“We can involve people in councils through co-option without them actually being councillors so that they can contribute.
“Suppose they have a friend of the park committee and their passion is the outside environment. They can involve themselves in that committee as a non-voting co-optee without having to be involved in the whole council business.
“There’s lots of different ways you can dip your toe in the water.”
