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Volunteers invited to attend Stoke-on-Trent City Council's first Citizens' Assembly

Crest Published: Wednesday, 15th January 2025

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is calling on volunteers to be part of a new focus group which will help to shape better approaches to issues facing the city.

The council wants to involve citizens in finding new ways to address problems that affect local residents the most, and to help influence important decisions about the future of the city. Giving local people more of a say in decisions about their lives and communities is a key element of the council's Our City, Our Wellbeing Corporate Strategy, which was introduced last year (2024).

Now, the council is setting up its first ever Citizens' Assembly, which will allow residents of all backgrounds to come forward and discuss the topics that most significantly impact their lives and their community, with a view towards suggesting new approaches, as well as solutions to ongoing problems they may face.

Similar panels of citizens have been developed and used successfully in other parts of the UK, and it is hoped that by introducing this concept to Stoke-on-Trent, the city will also benefit by tapping into local people’s creativity, knowledge and experiences.

The first, and most important task of the Citizens’ Assembly will be to decide how it should be run and what areas and issues to focus on, as well as identifying the best ways of attracting new members and ensuring that participants can make a real impact on council decision-making and improving service delivery.

Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: "We are excited at what a Citizens' Assembly could achieve for our great city in the future. Everybody in Stoke-on-Trent has a voice and deserves to have their say on shaping the future of their local community.

"A Citizens’ Assembly provides that opportunity with residents from any walk of life to step up and express their opinion. It could be to solve a long-running issue, it may be to introduce a totally new idea that could transform lives, or it could just be a simple suggestion that may go a long way towards building community spirit."

If you wish to contribute to the Citizens' Assembly, or to find out more information, you can get in touch by emailing citizensassembly@stoke.gov.uk.