the executive committee (2021-2022)

Natalie Edgoose - Recruitment Officer — Natalie Edgoose – Convenor

Amanda Kirke - Campaigns Co-ordinator for Colchester & District Green Party — Natalie Edgoose – Convenor

Mark Goacher Media and Communications Officer

THE CASTLE WARD TEAM

STEPH NISSEN

BOROUGH COUNCILLOR FOR CASTLE WARD, ELECTED 2021

Steph Nissen - Communications Officer

Steph took on the role of Party Coordinator in mid-2020 and the previous Coordinator Amanda Kirke became Campaign Manager. Steph lives in Castle Ward, near to Castle Park, and works for the Green Party nationally. She works hard for residents in Castle Ward organising litter-picks, talking to residents and raising issues with the Council.

MARK GOACHER

BOROUGH COUNCILLOR FOR CASTLE WARD ELECTED 2019

I was born in Leicester and grew up in Leicestershire before reading History at Lancaster University. I moved to Colchester in 1990 and have worked as a History teacher at Colchester Sixth Form College since then.
I first joined the Green Party around 1993, inspired by the anti-roads campaigns at the time and the rising interest in environmental issues at that time. Although I was not an active member indeed I never expected to be active in politics after a brief dalliance as a student. However I rejoined again in 2012 as I was angry at cuts to the funding of public services by the coalition and livid at a range of environmental issues, both global and very close to home.
I didn’t want to just be an angry keyboard warrior ; I’d done that and was looking to channel that into something more positive I suppose. I wanted a political brand that had ‘Green’ at the core of it but which would also be opposing the cuts to pensions and education funding. The Green Party was the only choice I felt comfortable with.
I received a nice welcome email from Colchester Green Party inviting me to their AGM. I went and was inspired to keep going to meetings and to get more involved. The rest, appropriately, is History.