Patricia Venturelli

Deputy Mayor for Education and Town Planning. Responsible for twinning

Having entered politics at a very young age to “see how it worked”, Patricia quickly took to political life, becoming a Town Councillor in 2000. Originally from Italy, she is proud of her roots and plans to promote Rebecq’s twinning link.

Is your role as Deputy Mayor for education a logical choice?

In the first place, it’s an area I find interesting because of my training (note: Patricia is a primary school teacher and has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and educational sciences), but above all because this is where we lay the foundations, in particular in terms of prevention. Our children are the adults of tomorrow and we need to focus our efforts on them. We need to ensure the acquisition of basic knowledge, while giving schools a window on the outside world.

What about extracurricular activities?

We need to create more childcare structures to support the growing numbers of working parents. We already have a wide range of extracurricular activities and day holiday camps, I believe we need to continue this work and see where improvements can be made.

At the age of 37, you are the youngest member of the new Board.

Yes, it’s a different perspective, we all have something to contribute. Listening to slightly differing points of view often gives you a broader view of the world. We plan to work together as a coherent team.