I moved to the Greater Manchester area at the age of 18 to study at Manchester Metropolitan University. After graduating with a first-class degree in Marketing I began work and made the area home. After initially working in the hospitality sector I was able to make my desired move into the charity sector in 2016. I currently work as the Marketing Manager for a charity that mobilises practical community action on poverty and the environment.
In addition to full-time employment, I volunteer for One Million Mentors - providing mentoring to young people who need extra support in their life, and also at Manchester Cares - participating in social activities which reduce social isolation in older people who live alone.
In my spare time, I enjoy an active lifestyle participating in a local badminton league, swimming at Grand Central and walking in Reddish Vale and other local green-spaces.
During my experiences at work, during volunteering and in my personal life I have witnessed a number of failings by both local and national government which I think a Green Voice would help to alleviate.
My top 3 priorities if elected would be:
1. A Green Homes Grant that works - 9.8% of residents in Stockport still live in fuel poverty (https://lginform.local.gov.uk/reports/lgastandard?mod-area=E08000007&mod-group=AllRegions_England&mod-metric=2131&mod-type=namedComparisonGroup). We need funding and solutions that help our communities move out of fuel poverty whilst reducing the impact on the environment.
2. Restoring youth services - Covid-19 has been particularly challenging on younger generations who are struggling more so than ever before with the mental health and wellbeing (https://www.ukyouth.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/UK-Youth-Covid-19-Impact-Report-.pdf). We need to restore valuable youth services which give vulnerable young people the opportunity to learn, grown and connect.
3. Reliable & safe transport - With the Metrolink expansion into Stockport we need to push further on sustainable travel, creating neighbourhoods that encourage and promote cycling and walking. The benefits are clear; improving our personal health both directly through increased movement and indirectly through reduced air pollution.
