In February 2026, Support Staffordshire organised and delivered a Citizen Jury on behalf of East Staffordshire Borough Council, bringing together local residents at Burton Library to explore how the council should approach the use of glyphosate, a widely used chemical weedkiller, across the land it owns and manages.

Over two days, the jury heard from four independent expert witnesses representing a broad range of perspectives on the issue. Residents were then given the opportunity to discuss the evidence, challenge viewpoints and work collaboratively to develop a set of informed recommendations for East Staffordshire Borough Council’s Cabinet to consider.

Support Staffordshire wanted to create a film that captured the value of this collaborative approach, showing not just what a Citizen Jury is, but how it works in practice and why it matters for meaningful public engagement.

To bring the process to life, we combined interviews with key stakeholders and citizen jurors alongside authentic behind-the-scenes footage captured throughout the sessions. The result is a film built around real voices, real conversations and real moments of decision-making – demonstrating how communities can play an active role in shaping the decisions that affect them.

The finished film provides Support Staffordshire and East Staffordshire Borough Council with a powerful example of how Citizen Juries can support future engagement projects, while showcasing local democracy at its best: bringing people together, listening to different perspectives and using evidence to inform better decisions.