SWINDONIANS are being encouraged to take a trip to Lower Shaw Farm tomorrow evening to meet the team behind their local Green Party.

Members and non-members alike are invited to a meet and great event at the Old Shaw Lane venue between 7.30 and 9.30.

Ken Kimber, Chairman of Swindon Green Party, said: “This will be a chance to meet Green Party members and supporters - we’ll have tea and cake, and some live green music.

“It’s an opportunity for some friendly conversation about what we stand for, what sort of people join the Green Party, and how people can get involved.”

There will be live music from local Green activist Talis Kimberley-Fairbourn, who is also a folksinger and songwriter, and whose bandmates are fellow Green Party members.

“I was writing and singing songs inspired by green issues for years before I got involved with the Green Party,” said Talis.

“For me, politics is a question of speaking up for the same causes I’ve been singing about – climate change and social justice, alongside songs about knitting and folklore!”

Families are welcome to go along to the event and admission is free.

The Green Party have recently declared their opposition to the council’s vision for parishes in the town.

They have said that forcing parishes on urban Swindon against local people’s wishes is the wrong way to proceed.

In particular they are opposed to what they see as the council’s intention to appoint ward councillors and others of its choosing to parish council seats at least a year before the first elections are held.

They have also expressed concern about the ongoing process of selecting a bidder to take on the running of Lydiard Park and House.

The party have put their support behind the community groups in the process rather than any commercial bidder saying the park should be run for the benefit of Swindon’s residents and not those with profit as a priority.