Popular councillor steps down after 25 years serving the community

4:39pm Tuesday 2nd December 2008

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A COUNCILLOR with a passion for serving the community is stepping down after more than 25 years working for Cam and Dursley. Cllr Margaret Nolder announced last week that she wouldn’t be standing as county councillor for Cam and Dursley next year after eight years in the role. She has also served on the district council for around 20 years and has been – and will remain - a parish councillor since 1982.

"I just feel so privileged to have served the people of Cam and Dursley for so long because they are lovely people," said Margaret, 74.

"I have always had a passion to lift people up instead of put them down and make them feel worthwhile.

"But I felt it was time to step down as county councillor and spend more time with my hisband."

Margaret has lived in Cam nearly all her life and joined Cam Parish Council in the early 1980s. In 1984 she was elected as district councillor for Cam and she remained on the council for the next 20 years.

Over that time Margaret was leader of the Labour Party Group and then leader of the council for four years.

"I think I always had a sense that I wanted to serve the community. I could see so many injustices and it made me angry, so I got into politics," said Margaret, who worked as a social workers assistant at Gloucestershire County Council for most of her life.

"I was a bit of a radical in my day. Always standing up for women’s rights and racial equality."

At the county council Margaret sat on the adoption committee because her other passion was caring for children and while at the district council she helped set up the popular youth council.

But in her heart her passion has always been serving Cam, where she grew up and met her husband Pat.

"I just love Cam, everybody is so friendly and chatty and I am so lucky to have been a councillor here.

"I am not ready to give up being a parish councillor just yet. There is still so much I want to do and I think I would be bored without it."