A FRESH appeal for new youthful councillors has been launched by an ageing Blackbird Leys Parish Council.

At the moment there are just nine people serving on the council, which meets once a month and has not had a full complement of 15 for more than 10 years.

The appeal follows the death of Sheila Smith, a Blackbird Leys resident since 1958 and parish council member for two years, who passed away last month aged 78.

Chairman Gordon Roper said: “Sheila used to come to meetings, and always spoke her mind if something came up. She used to phone me up about issues in the area. You’ve got to be active in the community to be part of the council, and prepared to take on problems.”

Mr Roper, who has been a councillor for the last 17 years, said he will consider stepping down from his post in the next few years: “It’s got to come to an end sooner or later.

“We need younger blood to come in with ideas. It’s only two to three hours a month and the reward is that you are doing something for residents on the estate. We are next in line after the city council and can put pressure on them to get things done.”

In the past few years, Blackbird Leys Parish Council has been instrumental in getting lights installed in Blackbird Leys Park and a new bridge in Spindleberry Park. Councillors have also successfully campaigned for repainted speed bumps in Pegasus Road and reducing the glare from lights at the new Leys Pools and Leisure Centre.

Last August two new councillors, Daniel Jones and Jadine Kennedy, joined in response to an appeal in the Oxford Mail.

Mr Jones, of Shepherd’s Hill, Greater Leys, manages the council website and stepped in at the last minute to chair the 2015 Leys Festival committee.

He said: “I wasn’t really involved with the community before I joined. Last year a couple of pre-schools were closed down and I kicked up a fuss. Councillor Val Smith explained that if I wanted to get more involved I should pop down.

“The past year has been quite enlightening for me. It’s a world you don’t realise is out there; a lot of people do complain but then don’t do much about it.

“We can always do more, and that’s the key. The more members we have with more interests, even if just one thing is bugging you, the more strings there are to the bow.”

Participants must be aged 18.

For more information, contact Gordon Roper on 07930 266304.