This is our second online quiz, questions by our celebrated pub quizmaster, Karl Kwiatkowski from Banbury, to raise funds for the Oxfordshire Green Party. Our earlier trial worked well, so we are opening it up to more people.

This will be run like a pub quiz, with teams answering rounds of questions - but it will be online and BYOB. In each round, your team will go into your own breakout room to discuss the answers that your team captain will enter into a document. There will be a mixture of quick fire rounds and ones where you have to spend more time thinking (but not enough time to find the answers online).

Buy tickets for you or your whole team on Eventbrite

Once you have bought one or more tickets for your team, please

fill in the team details form

with the team name and the names and email addresses of your team members, so we can set up everything in advance. Or if you don't have a team, we will put you together with other players to make a team.

We all enjoy some mental lubrication that comes with thirst quenching during particularly troublesome quizzes, and this is no exception! If you feel that you would like a donation during the quiz to simulate the joy of parting money with a bartender, then look no further! Simply donate an amount per drink, packet of crisps, or other snack, that you had throughout the quiz, and be happy in the knowledge that every penny goes towards supporting Green policies in Oxfordshire.

BYOB corkage payment

Tell us about your team (if any) for this quiz, so we can set up your breakout room in advance.

Feel free to bring your own drinks to our online quiz. Here you can donate an optional corkage payment of £1 per drink.

We are raising funds to get enough Green councillors elected to end the Conservative control of Oxfordshire County Council. Imagine a county which no longer cuts services for children and the elderly, but takes the climate emergency seriously.

Even a little help. Please donate a few pounds when enjoying the quiz.

As the UK begins to face up to the challenges of a 2nd wave of pandemic measures that will once again test to the extremes our National Health Service, it is heartening to know that there are some strong voices out there speaking up for it’s increased investment and protection from the perils of privatisation.

Larry Sanders, who at the age of 85 is the principle spokesperson for the NHS and Social Care for the UK Green Party, is one of those voices.

You can now watch a biopic of Larry's life, produced by Keith and Paul Hoult of 3rd Strike Films, two of our West Oxfordshire members.

All systems go. We are selecting candidates for the county council elections. We have restarted delivering leaflets. Now all of us need to step up our campaigning, reaching more voters. We need your time and money - and your friends.

Updated with the selection results.

Green Councillor Craig Simmons reflected on 18 months as Oxford Lord Mayor, in which he faced Brexit, the climate emergency and Covid-19.

Read more to watch the video recording.

Damien Maguire for Bicester East and Bicester Town

Biography

57 year old, grew up in Carterton, joined the Army after school, now work as an insurance adviser for service personnel, married to Amanda, I have two adult children, I live in Bicester.

Why I am standing

I think we can do better, be more inclusive. I think many of the decisions we make seem to be too short term and driven by a need for growth.

I think that the environment is critical without it nothing matters

How I will campaign

knock on doors and leaflet, as long as we do not get locked down due to Covid

Skills and time commitment

I am willing to learn, not give up, pay attention to the detail and look to include rather than divide.

Dianne Regisford for Iffley Fields & St. Mary's or Berinsfield & Garsington

Biography

Dianne Regisford is a visionary social justice ARTivist, Social Sculpture practitioner and academic focusing on issues of racial, cultural and social justice. She is the founding Director of Evoking Belonging, a social impact research consultancy specialising in social sculpture practice and cultural advocacy.

The Evoking Belonging practice creates equitable, regenerative spaces for social enquiry into migration, social cohesion and deepening democracy through participatory governance. Dianne developed the Evoking Belonging as a practice through PhD research in the field of Social Sculpture.

Dianne’s leadership is anchored in community driven by a vision for social transformation and civic enlivenment amongst migrant African Diaspora communities.

Dianne has been named as one of: 200 Women who will change the way you see the World. (www.twohundredwomen.com/dianneregisford)

Her book of poetry entitled; Evoking Belonging: Poetics of the Urban Indigène, was published in 2019 and discussed in our Green Book Club.

Why I am standing

I am standing for election to create a paradigm shift towards fuller expression of ecological citizenship in green politics. I vision a thriving local community where BAME communities are equitably, visibly and actively engaged in the governance processes, which affect their lives.

I will campaign for racial, cultural and healing justice as a pathway to belonging, with specific focus on BAME communities.

I am of the firm conviction that a regenerative approach, which looks beyond sustainability, is necessary to achieve the Green Party’s core value of radical transformation of society for the benefit of all, and for the planet as a whole.

How I will campaign

To inspire and motivate people to vote for me, I will use a high impact social media campaign for public engagement and cultural connection. The content of my campaign will focus on Culture, Belonging and Ecological Citizenship.

I will leverage my social capital amongst grassroots BAME community networks, faith groups, organisations to raise awareness of the cultural alignment of the Green Party’s core values to the BAME community cultural value systems.

Given the current scenario of the pandemic, I envisage that much of the campaigning will take place online and, where possible, through face-to-face engagement.

Skills and time commitment

I am a strategic leader with well honed capacity for future visioning and inspirational leadership with a strong sense of responsibility and connection.

I work well in teams and advocate for participatory, colloaborative approaches for multi-level and multi-sector engagement.

My social sculpture practice, Evoking Belonging, nurtures skills of deep listening, and intuitive perception for imaginative approaches to transformation.

I am a seasoned public speaker, with expertise in media, advocacy and campaigns, also stakeholder engagement at all levels.

Timewise: I am available on some evenings and one day over the weekend.

Oscar Idle for Donnington and Iffley Fields & St. Mary's

Biography

Why I am standing

As a young person, I feel that I have a lot at stake in the planet's future. This is part of the reason why I will do everything I can to protect nature and biodiversity, and help everyone along through a rapid green transition involving more cycling and public transport, energy efficient homes, and the creation of green jobs.

I will support social and affordable housing projects, and campaign for all new builds to have net zero carbon emissions.

How I will campaign

If canvassing will be possible this year, I will be going door to door every day of the year to really listen to people and understand their concerns.

Due to COVID-19, it is likely that we will need to win with an online campaign. Due to my experience with media strategy, and due to my strong connections to the community, I am in a prime position to campaign through social media, and to really engage with people. 

With the energy, drive and passion behind my campaign, I will be able to mobilise people who have never voted before, and particularly young people, to turn out in the masses come May.

Skills and time commitment

I will be campaigning every day of the week, whether online or door to door. If elected to both city and county council, I will dedicate myself full time to my role as a councillor. 

Pete Sudbury for Wallingford

Biography

Retired Consultant Psychiatrist and Medical Director. Qualifications in Natural Sciences, Medicine, Psychiatry and MBA. I became a psychiatrist because I am interested in human beings, how they think, work, collaborate and form effective groups.

Long-term supporter of environmental causes and charities, seriously concerned about Climate since mid ‘90s. Have reduced personal carbon footprint to less than half UK average.

Elected as county councillor for Wallingford in the 2019 by-election.

Why I am standing

I come from a family with a history of public service and volunteering. There is a climate and ecological emergency. I believe that those of us who are able to should step up to the plate and do whatever we can to mitigate and where possible reverse the damage (most of which has been done by my generation and the one before it). I have three children, now 10,8,5 and I want them to have a safe and healthy future.

I love Wallingford, as my local market town. I have enjoyed working with the town council and all three PCs. I am involved with very exciting local developments or campaigns around mitigating climate change across Wallingford, promoting tree planting across Wallingford and preventing an excessive cull of trees in Brightwell, promoting cycling and walking, especially round Long Wittenham which has an exciting strategic vision, reopening the Wallingford-to-Cholsey railway, reducing speed limits and creating safer streets, including through pedestrianisation or other traffic reduction, stopping illegal parking. I thoroughly enjoy interactions with members of the public, and 30 years of developing interview skills does help to understand the frame of reference from which individuals view to world.

How I will campaign

Campaigning has been hampered by Covid and (esp) schools closure. I have been working hard to build relationships with my local Parish, Town and District council(s). I am aware that I was elected with enthusiastic support from the Lib Dems, and have worked closely with them at the County, gaining a good reputation and influencing their policy direction. I have campaigned on behalf of individuals who have sought my help to build a personal reputation. I am establishing an online profile and picking up local issues on which to campaign. I will deliver a leaflet or personal letter in the autumn and a further one before Christmas.

After that, we will follow the playbook we used prior to my by-election, but over 5 months rather than 5 weeks. I intend to knock on every door in my patch at least once and set my appeal across the political spectrum by campaigning for the common good, and framing climate action as a non-political joint endeavour in which all of us can play our part.

Skills and time commitment

I am well versed in how Government and public service work. I’m energetic, honest, driven by a strong belief in the value of public service. I am articulate and very well-versed in making connections with, and understanding people’s points of view. I enjoy face-to-face interactions, as well as online ones, so whatever the state of lockdown, I will be able to operate fluently.

I usually spend 2-3 days a week on Councillor stuff, more around Council meetings.

Michelle Stewart for Donnington and Iffley Fields & St. Mary's

Biography

I am passionate about community, inclusion and diversity. I believe the Green Party is Oxford deserve a stronger voice both in the City Council and County and residents deserve to be supported by Green Party councillors. I know Oxford really well, have worked for many of the large organisations based here - Oxfam, Brookes, University and know the City well.

I enjoy locally driven issues and directly supporting residents. Through my professional experience as a project manager, am skilled at stakeholder engagement, policy documentation and am quick at understanding complex materials.

I feel my personality, energy and professional background make me a strong candidate both as a City Councillor and County Councillor to represent residents, the Green Party and hold decisions to account.

Why I am standing

I am standing to provide representation to the residents, business' in the Donnington Ward area. I believe in the importance of local politics and ensuring that City Council and County Council decision making is placed through rigour and correctly reflects the needs of the community. I feel it is important the residents voices are heard - not just those who shout the loudest, but all voices are given a space to be heard and considered. I would take the time to communicate well with residents outlining why decisions have been taken and discussing their impact.

How I will campaign

Visibility, engagement and listening. It is vital to listen to local residents and business' voices and genuinely listen to their concerns. Regular communication, regular visibility backed by a strong Green Party vision. Meet people in the community, understand the community and create a dialogue that creates a sense of collaboration and engagement with the Green Party and myself as a candidate.

Skills and time commitment

I love campaigning and have huge energy for a campaign. I enjoy connecting with residents, raising visibility and profile building. Am able to give time to this election campaign and hope to both run and win an election. Am flexible, easy going and supportive and also create an environment of fun when campaigning and working with other volunteers.

If elected, I would take the role and responsibility seriously and ensure that both the Green Party and residents are well and fully represented - again this would be by constantly raising a profile in the community and broader City and County.

Andrew Prosser for Witney North & East

Biography

I've lived with my family in Witney, Oxfordshire since 2000. I run a small business in the environmental sector, and campaign politically on citizens' rights for the Oxford European Association, where I'm Vice Chair. I've been helping national and international organisations reduce their environmental impacts for nearly twenty years. Locally, I still play and organise 6-aside football, and used to coach a girls' football team.

Why I am standing

I want to be a strong voice and advocate for green politics locally and nationally, by reaching out to and across communities, and challenging the unfairness and much of the detrimental and backward policies of the other political parties.

How I will campaign

I want to help make a real difference, so understand the level of commitment and work involved, and will do what it takes. I work mostly from home, and have the flexibility to fit in different times of day to the campaign.

Skills and time commitment

Experience as elected Witney Town Councillor - campaigning on green issues and success in moving the green agenda forward in Witney and more widely in West Oxfordshire through local media and influence. Leadership and technical skills from 20 years environmental/climate change consultancy work at UK and international level. Average of around 2 days a week campaigning and representation.

Chris Jarvis for Iffley Fields and St. Mary's

Biography

I’ve been an active Green Party member for ten years, beginning in Norwich, before moving to Oxford in 2016. In that time, I have served on the national executive of the Young Greens and the Green Party as a whole. I was one of the founders of the Oxford Young Greens and have been one of the two target candidates for St Marys ward since mid 2019.

I've both lived and worked in East Oxford – specifically in the Iffley Fields and St Mary’s county division – since July 2016, having first moved to Oxford to work for People & Planet, coordinating their anti-sweatshop campaign, and, since January 2019, have worked as a press officer for public ownership campaign group We Own It.

Outside of this, I am currently the editor of Bright Green – the UK’s largest publication dedicated to Green politics, and am finishing a masters in History at Oxford Brookes, specialising in the history of social movements.

Why I am standing

Local government has the power to transform people’s lives for the better - even in spite of power grabs from Westminster and a decade of cuts, outsourcing and privatisation. From high quality, publicly run services to pioneering environmental protection and grassroots community projects, local councils can deliver real and tangible change.

But the other parties have been wasting the opportunity local government gives them to do just that. Worse still, they’ve pursued policy after policy that have damaged our planet and failed to tackle social injustice and inequality.

But Green councillors are different. Green councillors understand how local government can be used for good – as we’ve seen from all our fantastic councillors across the country.

I want to be a part of the team that delivers that change. With more than a decade of campaigning and communications experience – having won campaigns for fossil fuel divestment and the Living Wage and against labour rights abuses and the privatisation of public services – I believe I can help to use elected office to mobilise people in the fight for a fairer, greener and more equitable Oxfordshire.

How I will campaign

Naturally these are going to be very challenging elections for us. We are typically even more heavily reliant on canvassing and leafletting as a mechanism for winning elections.

However, with covid restrictions likely with us for the foreseeable, it’s important to recognise that this might just not be possible to the same degree. Thankfully, over the last six months, the Donnington and St Marys ward teams (largely covering the Iffley Fields and St Marys county division) have been working to build the profile of the Green Party across the local area and increase the profile of myself and our other target candidates through a series of online talks which have already engaged hundreds of residents.

In the immediate future, I see us as continuing to pursue this approach, alongside resuming our literature deliveries (as we already have done), with canvassing also returning as soon as it is permissible.

In the unlikely event that covid restrictions ease significantly before the local elections in May, I would resume the work that myself and the other members of the St Marys and Donnington teams have already done to mobilise huge numbers of volunteers – particularly Young Greens - for action days. In the summer and autumn of 2019, we hosted action days attended by more than 30 volunteers, surveying the equivalent of 50% of the county division in a single day.

Skills and time commitment

See above. In addition, if I were elected to both the city and county, I intend to leave paid employment to focus wholly on work as a councillor. 

Sonja Francis for Thame & Chinnor

Biography

I am an ex Special Education Teacher, and Journalist, currently Editor of www.thame.net I have lived in Oxfordshire for almost 50 years, including Henley-on-Thames, and latterly Thame for the past 30 years, where I have brought up my three children. I have been interested in Environmental matters practically all my life, being a longtime member of Friends of The Earth (currently Chinnor & Thame), and a paid up supporter of Greenpeace and Extinction Rebellion. I was elected to Thame Town Council in May 2019. I enjoy cycling, gardening, watching crime dramas and quiz programmes on TV, Radio 4, live music of all kinds keeping up with current affairs.

Why I am standing

I am standing for Oxfordshire County Council mainly because I am dissatisfied with its lack of policies and prioritisation of actions in response to its Declaration of a Climate Emergency, it's lack of adequate support for young people, mental health, Elderly care and the vulnerable generally. I am also fed up with hearing complaints from fellow constituents and fellow town councillors about the lack of response and communication from our current County Councillor, and his lack of representing the needs of the ward at county hall level.

Additionally, I admire immensely the huge efforts made at county hall by our existing Green County Councillor, Pete Sudbury, who needs support!

How I will campaign

Hopefully, I will have the support of fellow Green Party Members, both locally and county wide, to put together a manifesto and publicity material, including a social media campaign aimed at the young especially, promoting Green Party ideals and policies, and how I will reflect them if elected at county council level. Taking Covid 19 into consideration, and the safety guidance at the time, door-to-door campaigning and telephone campaigning will also be important.

I would also be interested in trying a new approach, of a twice weekly video talking about a particular green issue for the county that I intend to address if elected. This could increase to daily as the election gets nearer. If door-to-door canvassing is still restricted because of Covid-19 by May, a range of media methods will need to be used. Older people and those without internet will need to be catered for, and a short, sharp campaign for Postal Voting will be needed to catch older, housebound people etc - something I think the party missed out on at the last election. (Many people told me they would have voted for me if I had come round earlier, but they'd already sent their postal vote in)

Skills and time commitment

I like to think I am friendly and able to speak to people at all levels; I am energetic and doggedly focused on things that matter to me such as the environment, family and my community, which I am honoured to represent.

I have a busy life but am able to prioritise and fortunately, I have a very supportive husband who does most of the shopping and cooking!

Katherine Foxhall for Shrivenham

Biography

I moved to Wantage in 2016, and now live in Uffington with my husband and two young children. I run a weekly toddler group, volunteer for the local COVID-19 support group, and try to develop green fingers at the local community garden. I grew up on a small-holding in Devon, where I attended the local comprehensive. I have served in pubs, driven ice cream vans and from an early age learnt about the challenges facing rural communities.

After studying history (and qualifying as a scuba diving instructor) at University, I went on to a career as a historian. I have taught and worked with people from all kinds of backgrounds - from schoolchildren in Manchester to neurologists in America. I am proudest of my work on the history of health, including working with charities and doctors in the UK and US to increase understanding of migraine, a disease that affects 1 in 7 of the world’s population.

In my current job I manage communications and policy research for the Royal Historical Society. This means that every day I make and communicate effective evidence-based arguments whether in high-level documents for policy-makers, or on Twitter.

The thread that runs through all of this a desire to understand the lives and experiences of ordinary people, and to clearly and effectively communicate complex ideas. This is just as relevant to local politics as it is for writing about people who lived long in the past.

Why I am standing

I don’t want to be a ‘politician’. I am a local, working mum of young children who wants to use my background and love for this area to help make Oxfordshire a fairer, healther and more sustainable place to live for people of all backgrounds. I am standing for election of Oxfordshire County Council because I believe that real change, sustainable change, has to come by combining addressing people’s needs with evidence-driven policies. I also believe that these changes must start, and will be most effective, when they are local, immediate, and everyday.

Since the 1970s, Oxfordshire County Council has been controlled or dominated by the Conservative party. We need councillors who understand and represent the communities they live in, and we need to build sustainable, collaborative, practical solutions to the problems people face everyday:

• How do we make cost-effective upgrades to infrastructure that we all rely on everyday including rural roads, high-speed broadband, safe connected cycle routes, reliable and accessible bus services?
• How do we ensure that the health and social care services we all rely on can work together to support those who are most vulnerable, or isolated?
• How do we support our local schools, for whom 2020 has been so devastating, get the resources and staff that they need to educate our children?
• How can we support local businesses that have – and will – suffer most from the effect of COVID-19 and Brexit?

In 2021 these questions will have an urgency we could not have imagined even 18 months ago - and they are all questions that the County Council must take responsibility for. By voting for new candidates in local elections, we can make this happen.

If we can tackle inequality, exploitation and political failure at the local level – as Green representatives across the world have shown can be done – then we can start to build better, long-term alternatives to global problems.

How I will campaign

We will work hard to:

• speak to local stakeholders – parish councils, school representatives, business owners and local people – in order to understand local needs and priorities.
• communicate that this is an election that gives everyone a meaningful vote, and a say in the political decisions that affect them everyday.
• be pro-active and positive in offering a real opportunity to change politics within Oxfordshire
• do our research, basing our campaign on evidence.

Skills and time commitment

• effective communicator, whether presenting in person to a crowded room, writing high-level policy documents or using Twitter to quickly, and rapidly share information.
• fifteen years experience as a professional researcher, with skills to quickly and effectively collate, analyse and present clear and effective evidence-based arguments and information to a wide variety of audiences.
• Experienced in working with a wide range of material, including legislation, policy documents, and scientific evidence.
• Professional experience of social media, website management and digital/virtual working.
• Media experience in article-writing, radio and TV interview.
• Extensive experience in project management and committee service.
• A life-long understanding of and commitment to challenges facing rural communities.
• A commitment to the principles and political programme of the Green Party

I work 2.5 days a week in my current role, and from January 2021 my children will both be in school time. I will commit 2 days a week to the role of candidate and representative – this time can be organised flexibly and responsively.

Robin Bennett for Berinsfield & Garsington

Biography

l live locally with my wife and children. In normal times I’m a professional musician and run an award-winning festival in South Oxfordshire called Wood. In the 2017 County elections I was runner-up in this division (Berinsfield and Garsington), and that year I was also General Election candidate for Henley constituency, winning most votes of any Green Party candidate in Oxfordshire in the snap election.

Since being elected to SODC in 2019, I have passed motions opposing the Oxford-Cambridge expressway, supporting community-led housing, and fought to include improved environmental measures in the Local Plan. In May I became joint Deputy Leader at the council, and have represented South Oxfordshire at meetings of Oxfordshire Growth Board and the Ox-Cam arc leaders group, pushing for better cycle routes and green housing standards. I’m currently working on measures to deliver sustainable, affordable and community-led housing in South Oxfordshire.

Why I am standing

I know my local area contains many who are passionate about the countryside, run sustainable businesses, and hope to leave a habitable planet for their grandchildren. I’m prepared to stand and add to my existing workload because I feel there is a chance for a Green breakthrough at county level, perhaps even becoming part of a future adminstration and ultimately it’s vital for county and district levels to work closely together to ensure benefits, whether that be making plans greener or improving green transport measures. The proposed regeneration of community facilities in Berinsfield depends on this collaboration, with many facilities co-owned by the county and district councils, including the local childrens’ centre, which has lost its county council funding. Local government reorganisation is also on the horizon and many will agree with the Green proposal for smaller unitaries rather than the giant One Oxfordshire proposal, which will likely be more distant from residents.

How I will campaign

My Green councillor colleagues represent parts of the division and I also have the support of local Lib Dems and independents (including the councillor for Garsington).

We’ll use the early campaign to promote our achievements at district level. There is also scope for endorsement from the Lib Dems and independents, and there is substantial support from green belt campaigners over the local plan, which will be coming back as a major issue as the election approaches.

Our district green group also issues regular press releases to media and social media, which will continue throughout the period. The big county-specific push would be in the run in to the election in 2021 and if Covid allows, canavassing likely Green voters and a day-of-election get out the vote effort.

Skills and time commitment

As mentioned above, I’m already a councillor and in regular contact with Green Party mentors including from the Assoc of Green Councillors. I also meeting regularly with our existing county councillor, Pete Sudbury. At SODC I have worked cross-party to build and maintain a ruling coalition of Lib Dems – Greens with support from independents, and this may prove valuable in passing motions at county level too. I am also now experienced at working with officers in getting things done in local government, and also as an election campaigner and canvasser.

As an Oxfordshire party, we would like to find out about the politics in every part of the county. So we have designed this survey to help us understand the differences and find the places where you most need an elected Green councillor.