BROMSGROVE Liberal Democrats have chosen their candidate to contest this year’s general election.
Bart Ricketts was born in Worcester and grew up in Droitwich, studying at Sacred Heart College and then Worcester sixth-form college.
As a student he represented Worcester at athletics and these days runs and cycles for charity and trains with the Black Pear Joggers.
Bart, whilst studying environmental management and business at Kingston University, became interested in politics and Student Union president. He remembers vividly inviting Paddy Ashdown to talk at the Students Union.
This led him into local politics and he served two successful terms as a Kingston Metropolitan Borough Councillor including a term as deputy lord mayor. That gave him the opportunity to support local charities, which he continues to do.
Bart is a Chartered Waste Manager and a professional member of the Chartered Managers Institute and is currently a project coordinator for Kingston Eco-op – a social enterprise working with environmental charities – and Mind as well as being a trustee for local charities such as Victim Support.
He is an enthusiastic campaigner for the environment and renewable energy and is passionate about recycling and reusing as well as supporting people with disabilities and mental health issues.
He worked with Ed Davey and Vince Cable when he lived in London and believes everyone should be encouraged and supported to be as good as they can be.
He said he was looking forward to getting involved in Bromsgrove political life and contesting the seat, which is currently held by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Sajid Javid.
Visit www.facebook.com/libdemsbromsgrove for more on Bart and what the Lib Dems are doing locally and www.libdems.org.uk for the party’s national policies.
