Wokingham Borough Mayor Cllr Rob Stanton was so impressed with a letter from Maisy Davison, asking for a path to be built near her school, he invited her and her best friend to Shute End as VIP guests.
Eight-year-old Maisy, and Lillie Huse, age seven, were given a tour of the council offices, met staff and leader of the council, Cllr Charlotte Haitham Taylor, sat in the Mayor’s seat in the Council Chamber, before being treated to lunch in the Mayor’s Parlour.
Maisy had written to the Mayor – Wokingham Borough’s first citizen - asking for a new path near Grazeley Primary School for herself and her friends to use so that parents didn’t have to use their cars.
She is no newcomer to democracy, after serving as an elected councillor on her school council last year.
“I wrote to the Mayor because I wanted him to build a path so that I could walk more easily to school, and stop Mummy clogging up the road in her car,” she said.
During lunch, she also presented a 300-signature petition she’d instigated supporting the idea of a path, signed by her school friends, parents, and the wider school community.
Cllr Stanton said: “I was very impressed with these two young ladies. They showed great interest in all they saw and asked some excellent questions.
“In their campaign to encourage as many of their friends to walk to school and to reduce car travel, they are a beacon of a sensible approach and will no doubt grow up to be two excellent citizens in our borough.”
The girls have now been invited to present their petition at a forthcoming full Council meeting to start the process allowing Maisy’s request to be officially looked into.
Photo shows Lillie (left) and Maisy (right) sat in the Mayor's chair (him behind) in the Council Chamber.
