Last month, the student council from Oakley School visited The Amelia for a chance to find out about the workings of another kind of council – Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.
The students had a busy schedule which began with them holding their own council meeting on site at The Amelia. After working through the business of the day, they were taken across the road to the Town Hall for a visit to the Council Chamber. The Learning Team from The Amelia gave them an introduction to the history of the site and the significance of the name Amelia Scott in the context of local democracy. Chief Executive William Benson joined the group to give them an insight into how the Chamber functions today.
The group then returned to the Amelia for a special Q&A session with William Benson and Councillor Justine Rutland. The students had prepared some wide-ranging questions in advance and listened with interest as they learnt about the role of a councillor, the differences between the responsibilities of the borough council and county council - and William Benson’s preference for alpacas over llamas!
After lunch, there was time for a scavenger hunt around The Amelia Galleries before a final highlight – some object handling featuring a range of historical artefacts from Stone Age tools to a Victorian boot-warmer!
It was a pleasure welcoming the Oakley School Council to The Amelia and we hope to welcome them back again next year.