Video bid to highlight Rotherham politics

BOROUGH councillors are set for starring roles in a video venture aimed at stirring interest in local politics.

With elections looming, DVD project A Day In The Life Of will be posted on YouTube and shown in schools to inspire young people in Rotherham to vote—and maybe become the councillors of the future.

Cllr Barry Dodson, part of the cross-party working group due to meet today to take the project forward, said: "We need young people to take an interest.

"Regardless of political parties, we need Rotherham people to represent Rotherham in the future—they will be the ones picking my old people's home."

May 2010 will see a new crop of councillors elected to Town Hall.

With turnout figures as low as 30 per cent, it is hoped that the film will help shed light on members' roles and responsibilities beyond attending meetings.

Cllr Dodson said: "I don't expect it to feature one councillor as the star of the show, and it wouldn't surprise me if there were more than three.

"It will be about how the council works together in Rotherham, every member from whatever party.

"Because, contrary to what a lot of people think, we can and do work together for Rotherham.

"It has to depict all parties and all ages. There's the younger ones, like Cllr Tom Fenoughty in his early 20s, then there's me in my 60s."

Local authorities have a duty to make sure residents know about the roles of councillors, the support they get and - crucially - how to become one.

Cllr Jane Austen, another member of the working party, said: "The DVD will add to the range of materials already produced about the role of a councillor.

"It is envisaged that the DVD will feature a small but representative number of existing councillors and by shadowing them for a day will make the councillor's role 'real'."

"The DVD will be available for use in schools and in communities to show young people and others why it is important to be involved and that councillors are ordinary people just like them."

The borough council's member development panel has previously sponsored "So you'd like to be a councillor" sessions but it was felt information should be available all year round and the idea of the video insight proved popular.

The group will meet today to discuss storyboards and which members might soon be making their small-screen debuts.

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