Laura Sheppard

Councillor in Waltham Forest

I came to London as a student and I've never left. I was involved in the local party when someone asked me if I might be interested in standing as a councillor as this was my home and I cared about what happened around here. There's a great mix of people with a whole range of needs and I'm glad to be able to assist.

I continue to work for Network Rail as a stakeholder relations manager. My boyfriend works in politics so he understands what's involved and required from me as a councillor, but I am learning to strike a balance with my working life. I'm a great Middlesbrough fan, so I try and get to all of their away matches in London. And I love to watch the cricket if I can.

At 22 I was very young when I started, and that was only a couple of years ago. It's been a steep learning curve but I've enjoyed it all. The support I've had from other councillors has been really important to me.

What makes it worthwhile is when constituents say thanks. It makes all the meetings, paper work and long hours seem very worthwhile. I feel better for getting involved.