More than nine out of ten elected local councillors, say they are ‘in touch’ with local issues... But nearly half of voters disagree. The Councillors' Commission report Representing the Future published in December last year confirmed the differece in views between councillors and the people they represent. Resident University will be looking in detail at how the role of local councillor is developing and the changes in powers the Government is proposing at its Thursday February 28 seminar: Councillors and Community Champions...

Should local councillors be more like ‘community champions’? Fighting the corner for their neighbourhood; helping neighbourhood services shape up by arguing the local case with all sorts of public and private bodies?

That’s the way people from across politics – including many councillors – want to go.

But what about active citizens who find other ways of serving the community. Some people are turned off by party politics and may see themselves as more effective ‘outside the system’.

Hear from active citizens across the city including Birmingham City Councillors:

• Robert Alden
• Zoe Hopkins
• Martin Mullaney
• Salma Yaqoob