Shaz Saleem, a former councillor in Kingswinford North will be leading a team of community members to stand in the local election.

Shaz stepped down in May 2023 but has been actively involved in the community since. He said:

"During my service I was able to support several local ventures and set up many groups that have brought people together such as the Wall Heath Kuppa Club and the Kingswinford Youth Group.

"As someone who has been involved with both Labour and Conservatives, when it comes to local council, there isn’t much difference between the two. The major political parties are obliged to put a candidate in every seat, regardless of a person's credibility and with little regard as to whether they are from the area.

"As a result, they have remained detached from the heart of our community and I often hear many people saying they don’t know who their councillor is.

"We want to change that and bring in community ambassadors who are visible in our local area and approachable to all our residents. It’s only when we are immersed in the community and interact with our local businesses and groups, that we can truly listen and understand the real concerns in our community.

"It should be the community giving their views to their councillor to make policy and not the other way round. That is where we will see real change.

Shaz will work alongside a number of local residents including Cassie Gray (in Kingswinford North and Wall Heath) and Brian Bassingthwaighte and Adam Waldron (in Kingswinford South).