Rachel Brown shares this latest news. Ed
An Isle of Wight campaigner has been selected to take part in a pilot of the UK in Parliament Outreach programme and has become one of the first Women in Parliament Trainers in the UK.
Rachel Brown, member of the Isle of Wight Inspiring Women group, 
attended the course run by the UK Parliament Outreach and Engagement Team at the Palace of Westminster, alongside 21 other women from across the UK.
A range of topics
Trainers will deliver sessions and workshops designed by UK Parliament on a range of topics, including Empowering Women, Getting Heard and The History of Women and The Vote.
Rachel said,
“I am thrilled to be taking part in this project.
“Supporting women to reach their potential is something I am passionate about, and these workshops help women understand the impact of parliament, and what steps they can take to influence those decisions.”
Council of Women
A cross-party Isle of Wight “Council of Women” group has been set up with the aim of increasing the number of women elected to the Isle of Wight Council in the May 2017 local elections, but Rachel says that this is only part of the story,
“Amongst young people, women are less likely to vote than men, and there are many other ways to get involved, too.
“Through these workshops, I hope women will learn how signing a petition, responding to a consultation or joining a campaign group can make a difference.”
Welcomed by MP
Member of Parliament for the Isle of Wight, Andrew Turner said,
“All of the local political parties are currently looking to put good candidates in place for the council elections on the Island next May.
“Any initiative which encourages able candidates to stand for election and play an active part in politics and their local community is to be welcomed.”
