Ruth Mayorcas Selected To Stand For Labour In Local Elections

Cycling campaigner pledges to work for social justice, youth centres and housing

Well known champion of cycling, Ruth Mayorcas has been
selected to stand as a Labour Councillor for Turnham Green Ward in the forthcoming local elections.

Ruth Mayorcas lives in Burlington Road and has lived in Chiswick since 1974 - her parents lived in Chiswick from for the early '20s to late '40s. Ruth is retired, age 64 with a son of 25 and very active both in the community and beyond.

She is well known for her pro cycling views and is in favour of the cycle superhighway CS9. Here is a personal piece written by Ruth, we published in which she outlines her views on the benefits of cycling.

Ruth trained at LAMDA in Theatre Stage Management, and has had a long career at the BBC, starting at the bottom on Play School and leaving in 1999 having become an Associate Producer with responsibility for budgeting, crewing up and completing Films up to being broadcast.

The Labour Party is in her blood as both her parents were life-long members and her father, a former British Steel employee took part in several union/management negotiations.

She is an avid campaigner against social injustice, was part of a group of parents and teachers who, amongst other things, worked on the Safe Routes to School Schemes. She is passionate that all children should go to school in an unpolluted environment and is involved in groups trying to enable this.

She has been a volunteer for the Youth Offending Service for several years as a Community Panel Member.From meeting these Young Offenders she believes it is absolutely clear that more needs to spent helping these youngsters before they get into difficulties and this would save so much in the Long-term.

She intends to campaign for better funding for Youth Centres and particularly to keep the Hogarth Centre open. She also intends to campaign for better living conditions for poor families.

She has helped out at Pensioners Alone at Xmas and recently have volunteered for Xmas week at Crisis at Christmas - homelessness being another area which troubles her deeply.

Ruth says;"In recent years I helped look after two elderly local people which gave me an acute awareness of the problems older people face and how much help is needed - not only locally accessible hospitals - eg Charing X, but good social care once returning home.

"Also how poor paving and side road crossings can make getting out and about independently virtually impossible - so I do campaign for better and safer streets"

She is a member of the West Chiswick and Gunnersbury Society and attends Local Area Forum meetings regularly - especially asking for section 106 and CIL money to be spent locally.

"I am seriously angry about the lack of social housing in the neighbourhood and think this has to be challenged and awareness raised.

"Throughout my life I have been concerned with equality of opportunity for all, be it regarding housing, education, the workplace and everyday life - making sure that the Council works for the whole Community; as a Labour Party Member I will continue to campaign for better local funding of schools, healthcare, youth justice and care, recycling and the Highways. It is important to recognise that all Councils have suffered the greatest cuts in my life time and rather than accept this it is the responsibility of your elected Councillors to act on your behalf. I have the energy, commitment and passion to take this on."

January 20, 2018