New "Youth Development Manager" confirmed

Michael Lunn has been appointed as the equivalent of the new national organiser:

"Michael has a strong business and strategic management background having recently acted as an adviser to the Quality of Life Policy Group. He also has strong links with many Members of the shadow Bench and also brings a wide range of international experience having previously worked for the Australian Liberal Party. Michael will be heading up a team of two other people whose appointments will be announced shortly. This role is a revamped and enhanced National Organiser role, though with a greater strategic input."

Michael will be at party conference so look out for him. Full details of CF events at party conference are copied below, I'd particularly recommend doing a stint on the social action project.

Invitation to Conservative Future Evening Reception

We are very pleased to announce that this year's Conservative Future Evening Reception at the Party Conference will be held on 1 October at the Paramount Imperial Hotel Blackpool starting at 9.30pm.

The evening reception is your opportunity to meet and network with other Conservative Future Members from around the Country, and also your opportunity to meet Mark Clarke – Chairman of Conservative Future and Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Tooting; Justine Greening MP - Shadow Minister for the Treasury and Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party, with responsibility for youth; as well as, Members of the Executive Management Committee, and other Area Chairman. We also have Caroline Spelman MP – Chairman of Conservative Party dropping by.

To be held at: Louis Room, Paramount Imperial Hotel Blackpool

On: Monday 1 October 2007

At: 21.30 – 01.00

Event Host: Mark Clarke – Conservative Future Chairman and Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Tooting.

Large quantity of alcohol provided for CF Members

Please note: Accreditation to the Conservative Party Conference is required to gain access to this event.

Please forward onto other Conservative Future Members that are going to the Party Conference in Blackpool.

Conservative Future called to help Social Action Project during Conservative Party Conference

Location: Grange Park, Blackpool

This year’s Conference Social Action Project is to reclaim a derelict garden in the Grange Park Estate which is attracting anti-social behaviour, drug users and fly-tipping.

During Conference we will be working with an award winning garden designer to transform the land into a sustainable community garden where local people of all ages will be able to grow fruit and vegetables and other plants.

This project is being led by the local PPCs Ron Bell and Paul Maynard and we will be joined on the project by local residents and community leaders, kids from the neighbouring school and youth club and the local PCSO.

Grange Park is one of the largest areas of social housing in the country and comes in the top 3% of the most deprived wards in the UK according to the indices of multiple deprivation.

Over the past five years a small group of community activists have had a dramatic impact in the area and the future for the residents of Grange Park Estate looks much brighter. Grange Park remains a huge challenge though and is a fantastic opportunity for the Party to celebrate the inroads already made, show that it is through partnership between council, voluntary groups and local residents that social change really can happen and give a much needed helping hand to an area which is just starting to emerge as an example of the winning formula of social responsibility in action.

What?
Every Conservative Future Member to the site will be invited to take part in various gardening activities: turfing, digging, planting, painting, carpentry etc. (Bring old clothes then!)

When?

Conservative Future Members are encouraged to attend on Monday 1 st October 2.00 – 5pm to join the Rt Hon. Peter Ainsworth MP – Shadow Secretary of State who will be present for photos and to meet Conservative Future Members in person. Please note that CF Members are encouraged to be present prior to Peter Ainsworth’s arrival. Those that do attend will be eligible for some complimentary Champagne at the Conservative Future Evening reception later that evening – see link for more details.

Where?
Grange Park is 8 minutes drive from the Winter Gardens. A shuttle between the main Conference area and Chepstow Gardens will be provided. Please note shuttle has a capacity of 15 people. 

Shuttle Times

From Conference

10.00, 12.30, 14.30, 16.30

Back to Conference

11.30, 14.00, 16.00, 18.00

Alternative Bus directions: Bus no 6 from stops W3 on Church St across from Winter Gardens or C1 on Corporation St to get to Grange Park. Bus goes round a big roundabout, then turns right into Chepstow Rd and they should get off by the shops.

Any Questions?
Contact Nicola Blackwood at nicola.blackwood@conservatives.com or 07733 262436

Location Map

Map for Blackpool Social Action Project

Under 10 and Under Pressure?

Girl Guiding UK

When: Sunday 30 September

Time: 19:30

Venue: Winter Gardens: Opera House, Circle Bar

Under 10 and Under Pressure? Girls Speak Out About Self-Esteem

Speakers:      Eleanor Laing MP;

Claire Palmer – Conservative Future;

Angela Milln – Girl Guiding UK;

Susan Ringwood – BEAT;

Jo Hillier – Opinion Leader

(Refreshments available)

Are you listening?

Date: Monday 1st October

Time: 17.45

Venue: Opera House, Winter Gardens, Blackpool

MTV and the Electoral Reform Society present a debate where a panel of young people take politicians to task

This year, MTV will attend party conference for the first time and is therefore seeking to break from the norm with its main event.  MTV will be bringing six 16-24 year olds who are not particularly engaged with politics to conference on Monday 1st October and will encourage them to attend fringe events, visit the plenary and get a general feel for how conference works.

This same group of 16-24 year olds will then participate in a debate on the Monday evening where they will be able to put the questions on issues that concern them to one senior and one backbench politician plus a representative from the party's youth arm.  This event will be jointly hosted with the Electoral Reform Society.

Speakers include:

    * Shadow Secretary for Culture, Media and Sport Jeremy Hunt MP
    * Chair of the Culture, Media and Spor t Select Committee John Whittingdale MP
    * Chair of Conservative Future, Mark Clarke

Comments

[Michael David Rock]

Michael Lund sounds like a great appointment. Let us all wish Michael well and make sure we support him as well as use his expertise over the coming year. The extra backing we are now receiving from CCHQ will become a huge benefit to us all.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at Conference!

[anonymous]

Yes this is very good news. I hope he is more mainstream than his predecessor, who once told me "I hate the daily mail". Not ideal when their readers are our core voters.

[Andrew Young]

Hmmm... if he brings the same sort of professional approach to doing politics as Lynton Crosby then I think we could be on to a winner here.

We certainly need some help, CF virtually has dissappeared lately.

Good luck Mike!!

[Paul]

Just want to wish everyone well in regards the Grange Park project, it is about thirty minutes from me and is an utterly awful place. As an aside does the party seriously believe that a couple of hours helping in a garden on a rundown council estate gains more tory votes?

[Anne-Marie]

'Anonymous', I consider hating the Daily Mail as an indicator of higher than average intelligence!

[Michael Hewlett]

Good luck with the new role. As seen from the recent by-election in Ealing Southall, there is a mass of young conservatives wanting to get actively involved.

I'd suggest that getting a modern, regulary updated CF website would be a good start to increasing that mass.

[John Moorcraft]

Congratulations on your appointment Michael. I wish you the very best of luck

[mhorn]

A message for Andrew Young you may think Grange is a truly awful place maybe through ignorance or just bloody minded small thinking our estate was at on time an awful place to live but that is no longer the case I would like to invite you on to our awful estate to see at first hand the hard work we are all doing to make life better
So Mr Young come along and meet some wonderful people that spend their time making our estate a better place [maybe you would like to see what a lovely place our garden is] good job we dont all have such negative thoughts

[Becky Stevens]

mhorn - your comment should be directed at Paul not Andrew Young.
I hope Paul takes you up on your offer. Regeneration of run down areas, and pride in our local areas should be key focus to us modern conservatives.
Good luck with the project.