Melanie De Jong
Liberal Democrats councillor for Hawkedon
Council: Wokingham
Term ends: 2 May 2030
I was born in Cape Town, South Africa during the apartheid era, and l became very politically aware from an early age, and developed very liberal ideas from talking with various friends who felt the same. As a young adult l managed to travel extensively overseas and this opened my eyes to how people lived in other countries. AFter meeting my husband, we emigrated to the UK. In 2000 and having 3 children, we moved into Lower Earley and have lived here ever since. All our children went to local primary and secondary schools. I then became very involved with local politics and served on Earley Town Council from 2011 until 2019, also being elected Town Mayor in 2015. We love living in Lower Earley and enjoy all that it offers. I would now like to contribute to keeping our wonderful town clean, green and environmentally friendly. I am passionate about providing youth services and creating a safe environment for our young people. I will dedicate all my time to serving all residents of our wonderful town and look very much forward to meeting and speaking with as many of you as possible.
Recent election history
Hawkedon (2026)
Liberal Democrats · 1,270 votes· Elected
Hawkedon (2024)
Liberal Democrats· Elected
Contact Information
Where Melanie fits into things
Constituency
Ward
Melanie De Jong
Councillor
Hawkedon
Rohit Ahlawat
Councillor · Hawkedon
David Hare
Councillor · Hawkedon
About the role
The responsibility of a councillor is to represent the people within a ward by making decisions on local services and other local issues.
What councillors do
- Make decisions on local services like housing, roads, and parks
- Represent residents' concerns at council meetings
- Help resolve local issues raised by constituents
- Set council budgets and local tax levels
How to influence
- Attend local council surgeries
- Write or email about local issues
- Attend public council meetings
- Join local community groups
Council
Wokingham (LC)