'No one that comes to me goes away empty handed' says Kingsbrook Labour candidate in Bedford election

A Labour candidate for May’s local election said she is standing to get more services for Bedford’s Kingsbrook community.

Ralley Rahman has been selected alongside Mashuk Ullah to be a candidate for the Kingsbrook Ward by the Bedford and Kempston Labour Party.

She said she is not a career politician, and is standing so she can help to improve access to services for her local community.

“I’m a community organiser and a volunteer, I just want to know how best I can get help for my community,” she said.

“Maybe everyone in the community would have seen my face as I’m not just behind the curtains or behind the door, I am actually physically out in the community.

“What matters to them is what matters to me,” she said.

As part of her commitment to the community she set up ILearn in 2017.

“It’s called ILearn because none of us are well versed in everything, so we are all learning each day,” she said.

“I started off by grabbing a few parents from the local schools. We started to work with other organisations and signpost them for those in need.

“I will always find someone who can help a person in need, no one that comes to me goes away empty handed.

“That’s the bit I love about it,” she said.

Ralley said being elected as a councillor would enable her to do more for the Kingsbrook community.

“Bedford Borough Council, what are they doing? ” she asked.

“They are saying ‘we’re going to do this, we’re going to do that’, spending hundreds of hours planning things.

“You can’t just keep planning, you need to go and do something about it,” she said.

“Being a councillor just gives you that bit of extra power to get things done.

“It’s not going to be easy, but you’re one step closer to getting a job done.

By being out in the community, Ralley said she knows what the community is demanding from the borough council.

“They want to see street lights fixed, they want to see potholes filled in, they want safer streets, and they also want better health services.

“I’ve had many one-to-ones with residents, and I hear their worries and the stresses they go through.

“Honestly, sometimes I’ll go home crying because of the things they are going through and it’s not fair, they shouldn’t have to go through that,” she said.

Ralley can be reached by calling 07715 881582, emailing [email protected] or via the campaign’s Facebook page.

“People often ask me, why do you do all that in the community for free?’,” Ralley said.

“When I go to sleep at night and when I think I’ve helped a person, it’s like I’ve helped all of humanity.

“So that’s the way I perceive life, it’s too short to fight and argue, let’s all get together and get things done.”