Arif Hussain

Councillor in Wycombe

I came to England when I was eleven, unable to speak a word of English.  I attribute my achievements to kind and wonderful people, such as my headteacher, who devoted time and gave me assistance and direction.

As a result of this, I have always believed that you need to give something back to the community that you have extracted so much from.  I strongly believe that we all have a responsibility to create an environment conducive to integration, respect and friendship amongst all communities. We can not always leave it to others. 

I put myself forward to become a councillor, hoping to make a tangible difference to the community, having worked diligently in the background for many years as a local magistrate.

I thoroughly enjoy [party] group discussions and council meetings, though they are often very heated - but this is only because everyone involved is very passionate about where we live and we all want the best for the people in our respective wards.  It is also extraordinarily rewarding when one is able to assist local people and they go away smiling.

My advice to anyone interested in helping their local area would be to consider becoming a councillor – you can make a real difference to your local community.