Beki Hoyland

Beki has been Green County councillor for Blakeney and Bream Division since 2021 and is standing for re-election.

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She has a particular interest in the council’s children’s services and corporate parenting, and has become involved in local youth clubs, mentoring and schools. This is a role she will continue if re-elected, working to ensure that families are given the help they need before they get to crisis point.

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Beki says: “It has been a steep learning curve but it’s fascinating to see local government from the inside and really understand how the system works. As mother of two adult children I am especially interested in children’s services but I have also learnt a lot about other aspects of the council’s work, particularly public rights of way as part of the Commons and Rights of Way Committee.”

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Beki has also been active in Highways issues; her achievements have included getting new signs on the A48 to slow traffic over a blind summit, and she is currently working on getting the speed limit reduced. If re-elected, she will campaign for a 40mph speed limit in the statutory Forest of Dean, and for more safe cycle routes between settlements in the Forest.

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Among her skills that are useful as a councillor, Beki lists good communication and listening skills, and the ability to read quickly – very useful when it comes to scrutinising the large documents that councillors have to read.

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“I work well as part of a team and am good at networking,” she says. “But I am happy to work alone and proactively work out what needs to be done. Casework is often about making sure that people have the right contacts and that they are listened to by services. As an active member of the local community, I often know organisations that can help, or individuals who are interested in the same areas.”

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Beki is also an Awre Parish Councillor, and although the parish role is far smaller it is more immediate and often better rooted in the everyday life of the parish.”

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Before being elected to the County, Beki had stood for election several times as a non-target candidate so has huge experience of the election process. When she was asked to stand as a target candidate in the 2021 elections she was happy to agree. “It was a way that I could be active in ensuring that local authorities - not just individuals - play their part in combating the climate and nature crisis.”

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Currently one of four Green County councillors, Beki would like to see more Greens elected in May. “With a louder Green voice, we can make sure that we are at the decision-making part of the process, with a strong voice in discussions, rather than shouting from the sidelines,” she says. “This will give the Greens a better chance of incorporating equality for people, nature and climate into policy like letters in a stick of rock.”

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Beki’s professional background is in biodynamic agriculture. She set up Dean Community Compost in the mid-1990s, collecting food waste and running a composting site and garden and a local vegetable box scheme. She helped form and run the Community Composting Network, which supported other community composters around Britain and lobbied government on the incoming legislation.

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She has been actively involved in encouraging home composting and no-dig gardening and was the Forest of Dean Compost Officer for Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust for two years. She also taught gardening in a school, developing a curriculum for children to learn about growing.

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Beki was a founding member and chair of Blakeney Hill Growers, a community small holding whose members work together to grow vegetables and raise bees and livestock.