From law to council Jess Dibble's new Longridge job is at heart of the community

Now she’s combining her skills and using that experience as clerk to Longridge Town Council.

The 33 year old mother of one says she is relishing her new role and new home town.

Jess moved to Longridge two years ago and took up her appointment in April.

She discovered the Ribble Valley town after visiting friends here and said: ”I just loved the place. I fell in love with it straight away...My childhood was spent in inner city Manchester so when we see a tractor or sheep we’re just like tourists!”

She said: “I knew I wanted to get involved in Longridge and the community and all the different groups and I saw the vacancy. I’ve a legal background and when I read the job description I thought that’s something I would really love to do.”

She continued: “People think it’s an admin job. It’s really not. There’s definitely a lot to it.”

Whether it is organising the annual town meeting, researching background information for issues councillors must consider, responding to emails and public concerns or keeping the public up to date by posting information online about meetings and minutes of meetings, there is always something new and challenging. Not least helping the council raise its concerns over a spate of summer break-ins at shops and commercial premises in and around the town’s main high street Berry Lane.

She said: "At the moment I’m getting everything together for Remembrance Sunday parade – it’s obviously a huge day for a lot of the residents.”

One of her aims is to increase public knowledge and understanding of the council and reach out to local residents through the council’s Facebook page and a new council website is being designed.

As a paralegal at Forbes solicitors in Chorley Jess worked in housing and civil litigation for five years, later becoming a housing officer at Chorley Council.

After moving to Longridge she joined the team at Schools Direct in Broughton which organises the training of teachers, working as an administrator there until she spotted the town council job.

Longridge Council’s next meeting is on September 14.