Looking out for the good of the community
Julie Yelland is best known for her dedication to Okehampton thanks to her commitment as a town and borough councillor.
Starting her role as an Okehampton Town councillor in 2014, Julie was co-opted after a vacancy had arisen due to a resignation. She successfully stood for election in 2015 and has never looked back.
When she joined, her main goal was to be a driving force behind the launch of Okehampton’s Dartmoor Line (officially launched in November last year). In 2015, when she was elected, this was when OkeRail was formed to promote the reintroduction of the regular passenger service, and Julie said the whole experience was ‘very rewarding’.
‘Launching the Dartmoor Line was very exciting and it is very rewarding when you see a plan come together. I played a small part in that and it was very moving when the line was finally launched. When the first train left the station on November 20 it was my birthday and it was wonderful to see people so excited.’
Beaming with pride, Julie said: ‘The community came together and achieved this and I know it will mean a huge amount for people to be able to go from and return to Okehampton but also for people to be able to visit the town by train. Yes, we have chain supermarkets but we have a wonderful selection of independent shops and eateries and what they offer is unique and not mass produced and we have lots of things to see and do, such as the Museum, Granite Way, Simmons Park and Dartmoor.
‘With the new train service up and running, I am very keen to see the new Parkway Station on the eastern edge of town built out. It is essential both to relieve traffic congestion through the centre of town and for those coming from further afield who wish to use the train to travel on to their destination. It was always part of the ambition of OkeRail to see this come to fruition and we will continue to work with all tiers of local government and our MP to bring it about.’
During her seven year period as a town councillor, Julie has also stood as town mayor for two years during which time she was able to experience every aspect of the town council life and meet many wonderful people.
‘I find being a councillor very interesting and informative as I get to meet lots of people from different walks of life and listen to very diverse opinions on all sorts of subjects.
‘I know the town and I know the area — I know it and I love it.’
Volunteering
After spending several years working and volunteering for Citizens Advice, Julie became involved with setting up and establishing Okehampton Street Pastors and is the charity’s chairman.
Street Pastors was pioneered in 2003 by Les Isaac when a group of church volunteers from South London went out on the streets to talk to people and try to make a difference to the volume of knife crime. Since then over 12,000 street and prayer pastors have been trained and play an active part in strengthening community life and working for safer streets.
Street Pastors is run by Ascension Trust, a Christian inter-denominational organisation, whose mission is ‘to mobilise the Church to make a positive contribution to society and to improve the quality of life of the disadvantaged and vulnerable’.
Okehampton Street Pastors was set up in February 2017 and volunteers provide care, help and listen to people who are out late at night in the town.
Alongside Okehampton Street Pastors, Julie is a trustee of the Simmons Park Charity, Okehampton United Charities and Okehampton Educational Foundation. ‘The one thing all these charities have in common is that the work they do directly benefits local residents who live in Okehampton and the Hamlets, including those out enjoying the night-time economy; visiting the award-winning park; using the services of any of our many and varied voluntary groups or having young people in our schools.
‘It is a real privilege to be able to be involved with these groups and have the opportunity to do my best to make a positive difference in our local community.’
Genealogy
Julie grew up on a farm just outside Okehampton and has lived in Okehampton since she was married 40 years ago and has raised two children.
When she is not wearing her ‘councillor or volunteering hat’ Julie is keen to tackle her family’s genealogy as a way to unwind.
‘With being both a town councillor and a West Devon Borough Councillor it is pretty busy, but when I do get some time off I enjoy researching my family tree.
‘I can spend hours researching and I find it really interesting.’
Julie hasn’t uncovered any links to Royalty (just yet) but one day she did receive an out of the blue email from a relative in America under the subject ‘Hello Cousin’.
‘My grandmother’s surname on my father’s side had an unusual surname of “Hewerdine” and one day I got an email from Carol which said “Hello Cousin, lovely to meet you” which was amazing. My father was an only child and she sent a lot of information on my grandmother’s grandfather’s siblings who emigrated to America in the 1850s and fought in the Civil War. I haven’t uncovered any dark family secrets but I have managed to trace my grandmother’s side back to 1795, so far.’