Frodsham Nub Voice aims to get to the heart of community issues by asking you to share your opinions about national and local events.

This valuable community input will help us to successfully reflect the reality of daily life in Frodsham, making your voices heard by the local and national media.

So far, we have received sign-ups from 30 people aged between 22 and 69 and representing a cross-section of the community, from lawyers to nurses to retirees.

We would like you to join them in contributing to Frodsham Nub Voice, so please sign up here!

We will be contacting our Nub Voice volunteers every two weeks to seek their views on the burning national and local issues that impact Frodsham.

The responses will be included anonymously in an article offering a snapshot of local points of view.

We welcome the support of Weaver Vale MP Mike Amesbury, whose responsibility it is to bring these community voices to the fore in Westminster.

We held a Q&A with Mike to discuss how Frodsham Nub Voice can serve the town and its people.

Frodsham Nub News: Do you think Frodsham Nub Voice can make a difference in helping people to feel heard by the government?

Mike Amesbury: "Yes. For years and years people have felt that they haven't been heard. There's a lot of evidence of that frustration. Local news and media can help with that. I certainly value it, not only as a resident but also as an MP. It gives me an opportunity to bring the voices that I hear in the community to life in Parliament."

FNN: Frodsham Nub Voice is all about engaging a cross-section of the community to visibility to a wide range of thoughts and concerns. What do you think of this idea?

MA: "The most popular pages of newspapers in days gone by were the letters pages, and in a way, Frodsham Nub Voice is building on that principle. This localised media is great for democracy.

"It's great for the people of the town with their diverse array of views, and it's certainly helpful for me as a parliamentarian.

"I won't always agree with people and they won't always agree with me, but that's the brilliant thing about our democracy. We need all different voices to make it work."

FNN: How important is it for you to hear the thoughts and ideas of individual constituents?

MA: "Everybody's views are valuable. I've got an electorate of nearly 72,000 spread across Weaver Vale and I represent all of those people. I'm a resident of Frodsham so it's important to me to listen to what my friends and neighbours have to say, as well as those in our local business community who are finding things tough at the moment."

FNN: With this in mind, what value will Frodsham Nub Voice hold for you and how will it inform you in your work?

MA: "Frodsham Nub News already does inform my work as an MP. In the relatively short period of time you have been around, it has given me an opportunity to follow what's happening in the area.

"In normal times, when I go back to spending Monday to Thursday in Parliament, Frodsham Nub Voice will help me to keep in touch with the voices of the local community, which is great."

FNN: Do you think that the pandemic has brought about any permanent changes to the nature of daily life in communities like Frodsham? Might the crisis eventually provide an opportunity for rejuvenation?

MA: "I am an optimist about the future, but it's all about providing leadership and working together with key stakeholders, whether they be local councillors or the business sector.

"Frodsham is a brilliant community which has rallied round during this crisis, and I hope that that sense of solidarity continues and grows. People talk about 'Building Back Better', and I certainly believe we need to build forward fairer and greener. The government talks about 'levelling up', but we've got to see the substance of that. I want to play my part as a local MP to bring about that positive change.

"It's a challenging time for everybody at the moment. People have lost loved ones, jobs and businesses. But we've seen the Frodsham community checking in on neighbours from a safe distance, telephoning those that might be lonely, and that is really heartening. We've got to keep hold of that solidarity and optimism as we move into the future. I hope that this difficult time will give way to a new world."

FNN: The government talk about 'Building Back Better', while Labour leader Keir Starmer insists on the need for a post-Covid recovery based around 'tackling inequality and insecurity'. What does this mean to you and what would you like to see happen?

MA: "I love my country and I certainly love the community I represent. Inequality and poverty are such a waste of human talent and there are so many things that could be so much better. I passionately believe that everybody should have the opportunity to do their best regardless of where they come from.

"Frodsham is quite diverse and there's some real poverty here. People are now experiencing Universal Credit for the first time in their lives because we're in an economic recession like no other. So it's tough out there, but again I remain optimistic. My duty is to represent all of my constituents but I will give that extra bit of attention to those residents in our area who are currently under real pressure and strain."

Read more about Frodsham Nub Voice here!