The fArt of Self-Promotion

26th AUGUST 2024

Town Councillors volunteer their time and they don’t get paid, but that’s nothing unusual.
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Think about it. Across the country people give up their time and energies for free for all sorts of good causes.

People fundraise, do unpaid volunteer work, help those in need, running events and selflessly supporting good their chosen good causes.

Most councillors quietly get on with trying to make a difference whenever and however they can, so any off-putting whiff of self-promotion would stand out a bit.

We all know a Beryl. When Beryl spends hours and hours baking ten cakes out of the goodness of her heart (and pocket) for a charity fundraiser at the local village hall, does she take to social media taking a selfie with her cakes saying “I’ve done this” and “I’ve done that”, making it all about her? No, of course Beryl doesn’t.
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It wouldn’t even cross Beryl’s mind to put herself front and centre because Beryl doesn’t want anything back from doing what she does. No, it’s just done out of kindness. Cakes made. Cakes sold. Helps someone. Job done - go Beryl!

Giving up your time to benefit others is a selfless act for people, and they are happy to be anonymous, so on the occasions when someone does figuratively barge to the front to be the centre of attention it will pong a bit (remember Ex-President Trump doing that literally? Here’s a reminder).

Some of you might know a Brian. You knoooowww, Brian. He pops up to help strimming the weeds in the churchyard for hours, he likes to help. Brian wouldn’t dream of posting a vox-pop video of himself to make sure people know what he’s done, that it is him that has made a difference. In fact, he wouldn’t even let the local paper include him in a photo if they asked him. Humble and helpful. High-five Brian!
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Does it really matter?
Or is it only the end-result that does?
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Lots of councillors work hard. Not many will even think of self-promotion.
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It’s interesting isn’t it… If you wanted a bit of adulation how could you go about it? What opportunities and issues could you piggy-back on or maybe use in your favour to raise your profile or stroke your own ego a bit if you wanted to?
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What would Sigmund Froood Doood say? Well, who knows, just don’t forget those photos of yourself.
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Of course, back in the days of polaroid cameras, waving these snaps in the air while they developed might have helped disperse any pong of self-promotion, sadly not possible with any pungent pixels dealt in today's online world.
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Anyway, what could the take away be from all this?
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Oh that’s easy ....Be More Beryl.

#BeMoreBeryl

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* County Councillors do get paid, but not Town Councillors. At the moment about 3 of the Ross-on-Wye Town Councillors are also County Councillors (on Herefordshire Council).

** The Nolans for some reason wrote the principles of public life, one of which is Selflessness. These principles are a sort of seven point reminder for those in public service of character traits which most people who volunteer their time don’t need reminding of. It’s unclear if they wrote these before or after “ I’m In the Mood for Dancing”.