Louth Green Party

Yinka Dixon

Drogheda Borough Council, Drogheda South
Louth County Council, Drogheda East

View Yinka's speech at the Green Party Annual Convention

Yinka Dixon is adult Education Teacher, since 1984, a qualified Vocational Skills Assessor, and has been teaching IT user skills, Key Skills, and Business Studies since 1998. She is a Life and Business Coach and Social Entrepreneur working towards peace and unity. Yinka is an events and keynote Speaker, working to motivate people to achieve high levels of peak performance.

With a University degree and more than 24 years of teaching experience (since 1983), both in London, Nigeria and Ireland, I have run many training schemes. I have also been involved in supporting several youth projects, including childcare schemes, women football, girls' football, and performance and singing projects. I have run and facilitated information sessions for immigrants, including seminars, workshops and training session, to inform, educate, and advice young people, as well as men and women on a variety of issues. I write articles for magazines and organise workshops, seminars, one-to-one, and group sessions where I empower and motivate people to set and achieve goals, to develop visions and follow them through, and to go from where they presently are, to where they envision. As an employee, I have had opportunities to work 2nd or 3rd jobs in various large supermarkets, handling cash, customers, perishables, consumer electronics and general merchandise. The experience gained was very useful in my further roles as Customer Services Executive years later, and in my role as a motivational speaker and in my present vocation as a life and business coach.

I was appointed the European Coordinator for WOTCLEF, an initiative. This is a project of Hajia (Mrs) Titi Atiku, wife of a former Vice President of Nigeria. This initiative works to prevent child labour and prostitution of women, and to protect and educate children and women. I was also appointed the UK and Ireland Representative for VPI (Voluntary (Medical) Preventive Intervention). This medical initiative was founded by Dr Mrs Rosemarie David Mark, the wife of the current Senate President of Nigeria. This intervention works to provide essential medical care, attention and facilities into the rural areas, and inter-lands in Nigeria for the poor, and those in need of emergency care. My team organised Open Lectures, and Product launches for VPI in 2008 July 2008 in the UK and in Ireland in August.

Yinka has attended several self-development training courses in UK and Ireland, and was on a Higher Diploma in Positive Behaviour Management run by the SSLD and DCU Ireland, to help promote positive behaviour in schools and colleges. With a life-long passion for helping others, and motivating people to set goals and to achieve high levels of peak performance, Yinka avails of every opportunity to develop the people and communities in which she finds herself. While in Coolock, County Dublin, Yinka became the Presenter, Researcher & Producer of a voluntary radio program in order to give encouragement to the women in her community. When she got to Dundalk, she became the Presenter of a radio talk show which examined issues that mattered to various community members, and sought solutions to them.

In Dundalk, she also set up and coordinated the Ebony People Support Group, a voluntary group to promote positive behaviour across cultures, teaching and organising seminars and workshops to promote unity and foster the integration and language learning of immigrants. She has continued to coordinate this group in Drogheda. As a motivational speaker, Yinka is always looking that extra shine in young people and adults. Yinka set up, and is a volunteer of the Network of International Christian Artists and Musicians (NICAM) which is a peace and educational network, bringing together artists of different denominations. The annual project of the network is CAMfest Showcase, which aims to provide opportunities for young people to perform on stage, and creates a bridge across age, gender, and religious boundaries. As an educational and confidence building tool, the CAMfest Showcase has been duplicated in the UK, and continues to expand.

I am running as Councillor as an opportunity to extend my passion for community development, supporting education and promoting enterprise, and with the Green Party for two main reasons. The Party believes that all political, social and economic decisions must be taken at the lowest effective levels, and that, society must be guided by self-reliance and cooperation at all levels. These, in my opinion, means, giving the power to the people at community levels in order to effect essential change, in order to promote a society that can determine right from wrong (from community level upwards), and one in which neighbours can cooperate at all levels. The "Brother's Keeper Community Watch" is the kind of society we must seek, for our children's sakes. One in which the elderly are respected and protected, and can feel safe in and around their homes and neighbourhood. We should promote a society that supports parents in the care of their young ones. We should support a community in which people care for the health, safety and hygiene of their environment. We must promote personal self development that leads to self confidence and results in enterprise. We must encourage people to reach within themselves and bring out the best of themselves. When society is self-supportive and cooperative, the Teachers will work better, the pressure on public care, support, health and safety services will reduce. The Gardai, Healthcare staff, and others responsible for providing essential services can then serve the community better. Our society can become the model for peace and unity, showcasing an overall healthier, better and safer community.

The council has spent a lot of money in the beautification of Drogheda. Encouraging people to develop "cleanlitudes" will help bring more business and jobs into the town. Drogheda has become a commuter town, and what used to be an International Port has not benefited from further development. We need to develop ways to make commuters stop over in Drogheda more often.

When I am elected as a Councillor in Drogheda South, my aim will be to support existing facilities in order to promote peace and unity and create a better and healthier community.

1.Raise Community Relevance
2.Promote Community Involvement and
3.Influence Community Thinking

1. Cleanliness - Provide 4-in-1 Bins on street corners

2. Health - Provide subsidised Dog Poo Bags for dog owners
3. Safety - Support an effective Neighbourhood Watch
4. Safety - Develop a Youth Law Enforcement program to will work with local Gardai
5. Green - Environmental Protection, Maintenance and Beautification
6. Elderly - Develop programs to appreciate, respect and protect our elderly citizens
7. Youth - need sports facilities, playgrounds
8. Childcare - more affordable childcare facilities
9. Entrepreneurs: to develop programs that will help people develop their entrepreneurial skills
10. Education: Support schools and parents to educate children, and appreciate their teachers
11. Men/Women - Personal Self development programs
12. Public Facilities: More public toilets, telephones, public access areas
13. Enterprise - Encourage Opportunities for increased enterprise and jobs