CAROL KAMBITES
Carol is the Mayor of Stonehouse and has been on Stonehouse Town Council for 10 years.
Carol has been a member of the Green Party since 1976, when it was known as the Ecology Party, and was a founder member of Stroud District Green Party.
She believes that the Greens are the only party to combine concern about inequality and social justice with action for the environment, and that social and environmental justice can only be achieved through an economic system that prioritises the environment and quality of life above economic growth.
Carol has stood in elections at all levels, having been a town and parish councillor on three different councils and been a candidate for County, District and the European Parliament.
She has also held various roles within the Green Party locally, regionally and nationally.
All these positions have given her a sound understanding of local government and experience of operating successfully within it. She says: “I have worked with a wide variety of people both within and outside local government. I also bring the ability to analyse problems and to look outside the box to find solutions.”
Carol has been at the forefront for several years of the campaign to reopen Bristol Road station in Stonehouse, and would use her position as a district councillor to pursue that ambition.
She wants to represent the people Stonehouse effectively at District level and to continue the work she has been doing as a Town Councillor to improve relations between Town and District Councils.
Her other goals include contributing to the good work that the Green Councillors are already doing, such as helping to tackle the climate and biodiversity emergencies on a local level.
But, she adds: “We should not absolve national Government of their responsibility; not all the changes we need can be made locally. We need fundamental changes at national and international level, so that we can protect the environment and move towards a fairer society improving the quality of life for local people.”
Now retired from her role as a Research Associate at the Countryside and Community Research Institute, Carol has lived in Stroud District since the early 1970s. She holds a PhD in Town Councils and Sustainable Development.
In her spare time she enjoys cycling (she is the chair of Stroud Valleys Cycle Campaign), walking and working on her allotment. She is a member of Global Justice Now and the Campaign Against the Arms Trade.
Madelaine Maraboli-Roman
Madelaine lives in Stonehouse and is a policy adviser at the Department for Environmental and Rural Affairs. This role has given her a sound understanding of issues related to farming, food safety, security, and production, as well as animal health and welfare.
Madelaine originally studied zoology in the UK and has lived in and travelled to several other countries. She trained as a vet and abattoir inspector in Chile and moved back to the UK in 2017.
While at university, Madelaine was student president for three years. She believes that experience of representing a large body of people and communicating their opinions and needs to the authorities will be invaluable in the role of district councillor.
She decided to stand for election after moving to Stonehouse from Bristol in 2022 and seeing the strong sense of community locally. She says: “I have lived and worked in four continents, but I felt welcomed in Stroud District as I had never felt before anywhere in the world. I really feel this is the best place I could ever live, and I want to give back to the community, by helping improve people’s lives and the local environment.”
She believes her negotiation and communication skills, and her understanding of budgets and finance, will be extremely useful if she is elected, in helping Stroud District Council to develop and implement complex projects.
Her favourite things about Stroud District are the spectacular views, the farmers’ market and the “want local, buy local” mindset.
Locally, she would like to see transport improvements, including better-maintained roads, pavement and tow paths and the reinstatement of the Bristol Road station to make it easier for residents to get to Bristol. She would campaign for a local, regular bus circuit for Stroud, Stonehouse and the Stanleys, and would work to keep public paths free of dog waste and to encourage owners to clean up after their dogs.
On a national and international level, her dream is a fairer, more representative system of government so that every vote matters.
Madelaine is looking forward to helping the Green Party achieve an absolute majority on Stroud District Council for the first time, showing Greens elsewhere what is possible.
Formerly a Labour supporter, she switched to the Green Party because of the party’s strength in Stroud District and the urgency with which environmental and social issues need to be addressed.
She said: “We have reached a point where we can no longer ignore the environmental signs and desire for change, and if a better world is what we truly want, we are just going to have to do it ourselves, together, for the greater good and a better future. I’d like to show small rural communities that politics affects us all and that we in turn can positively affect politics.”
A member of Public and Commercial Services Union and the Stroud Trade Union Council, Madelaine is very involved in the Right to Strike movement and is passionate about workers’ rights and working conditions. “Ensuring financial equity for all workers will ultimately improve life for everyone,” she says. “Money and resources need to be more fairly distributed globally.”
She is active in Equality, Diversity & Inclusivity projects within the civil service, where she helps support victims of bullying, discrimination, and harassment.
She is a particular supporter of women’s rights and equality. “If we can achieve sexual equality, all other issues with equality will be within our grasp,” she says.
Locally, she is a volunteer with the Night Angels in Stroud, an initiative set up to ensure women’s safety, and enjoys learning about art, history, and popular science. A fluent Spanish speaker, she likes taking part in pub quizzes, wild swimming, extreme sports and running along the local canal tow paths.
Stonehouse has 3 seats
Stonehouse has 3 seats, so in addition to Carol and Madelaine, you are also able to vote for to the fantastic Rachel Smith!