I’ve lived in the Birchcliffe ward for the last 36 years and am standing again to represent the ward for the Labour Party.

My children were born and raised here so I have first-hand experience of many of the local issues facing people of all ages. Having spent my working life as a speech and language therapist in the NHS I’m also well aware of the problems faced by many as a result of the current government’s policy of austerity. The Labour Group on the town council are committed to continuing our policy of being a Living Wage Employer, giving local people a fair wage.

As a town council we have a large part to play in our local community, both by supporting local organisations in their work and also by directly organising free-to-access community events such as the Pumpkin Festival.

I’m proud that I introduced a statement on misogyny which has now been adopted by the council. I’ve introduced policies restricting the use of single-use plastics and helium balloons within the council. I sit on the boards of Happy Valley Pride and Handmade Parade and volunteer at their events.

In the last year I have made a determined effort to talk to both young and old by visiting local schools and supported housing. I have talked to disabled people and carers of all ages about what they need. I’m seeking re-election because these discussions have given me many more ideas which I will bring to the town council so we can continue developing and supporting our community. Climate change and resulting flooding is a huge issue. I look forward to helping make the council carbon neutral.

You will see me around town most days so do stop me and tell me your ideas to improve our community.

I have lived in Hebden Bridge for thirty seven years and raised my children here, now my granddaughter is growing up here and therefore I have a great deal invested in this community.It has been my pleasure to serve as a Councillor for Fairfield Ward since February 2017. I have always responded to the concerns of residents, having a litter bin and poo bag dispenser installed after hearing a mother’s concerns about her children playing on fouled grass near their home, supporting the grant application for natural flood management on the land above Palace House Road and lobbying the Environment Agency about work at Stubbing Holme. I also contacted community police about vehicles which were parked long term near Primrose Terrace and these were subsequently removed.

I have served on five of the committees which meet regularly to conduct the business of the Council and am currently Chair of the Community Funding Committee which awards grants to local voluntary organisations.
If re-elected I will continue to do my best to represent the people of my Ward and the wider community of Hebden Royd.

I was elected onto Hebden Royd Town Council in May 2003 and am Deputy Leader of the Labour Group and Chair of the Environment, Allotments & Events Committee.

Over the past sixteen years my council attendance has been nearly 100 per cent. Labour Councillors have done their best to support the local Community, We fund local Grassroots Community Groups and initiatives which need our support like the Hebden Bridge Arts Festival, Handmade Parade, Dodnaze Community Association and Steepfields Allotment Society. We oppose inappropriate Planning Applications, which would spoil the unique character of our town.

We also own and run the very successful Hebden Bridge Picture House which is a very important asset for our lovely little town and we also have Town Council Allotments up at High Hurst & Banksfield

We run a very successful Hanging Basket Scheme throughout Hebden Royd which makes our Town blossom in the summer. We also run a successful Pumpkin Festival & Happy Hounds Event which encourages responsible dog ownership and the popular Chistmas Tree Switch on in Hebden Bridge & Mytholnroyd. We have recently declared Hebden Royd as a Climate Change Emergency Area and we are hoping to reduce carbon emissions throughout Hebden Royd.

I have been very proud to serve on Hebden Royd Town Council, since winning West End ward in a by election in 2017. Last year I had the privilege of also being elected to sit on Calderdale Council for Calder Ward.

On HRTC, I have enjoyed sitting on a variety of committees and thereby contributing to the running of successful local services such as the Hebden Bridge Picture House, running a variety of great events, helping a huge range of local organisations through our funding programme, and representing residents of West End ward. I think there is great value in being both a town councillor and district councillor at the same time as I can help provide a link between these two different tiers of local government, and direct resident’s queries and complaints to the right place in the right organisation.

In addition being a town councillor gives me a really good understanding of the needs of local people and their issues and can help me to better represent Calder Ward at Calderdale. I’m really proud of the work we, the councillors on HRTC, do together and I hope you will give me the chance of representing West End ward for a further term.

I moved to Hebden Royd from Wakefield in 1981 when I became Headteacher of Scout Road Primary School. I have had my home here ever since and now live in Wadsworth in the Birchcliffe Ward where I have lived since 2000.  Throughout that time I have worked in education having been Head of two schools in Calderdale, worked in international education in the Far East, the Middle East and Africa and finally, for 11 years, as a Headteacher in Bradford.

Since my retirement I have continued my involvement in education being a Governor of Old Town Primary School and as Calderdale Branch Secretary for the National Association of Headteachers in which role I work closely with schools across the district as well as liaising with the local authority. I am also very actively involved in the Calderdale Against School Cuts campaign which reflects my deep concern at the negative impact of government austerity politics on, not just schools, but all public services including policing, health and social services.

I believe very strongly in communities working together with each of us supporting one another in partnership to create better lives and life chances for all. This has led me to organise and manage the Hebden Bridge Duck Race in 2018 and again in 2019 as part of Hebden Bridge Rotary Club and to play an important role in the organisation and delivery of the Hebden Bridge Vintage Car Weekend each August.  Money raised through these and other events, which bring people together, has been used to support local schools, clubs, youth groups and community organisations as well as to provide aid locally, nationally and internationally in times of need.

As a Town Councillor I would commit to doing all that I can to support local individuals, groups and organisations committed to working together to build a thriving, united community in which all feel valued and are given a chance to thrive and achieve.

I have lived in Hebden Bridge since 2002, and have loved living here, due to the environment, the hills and also due to the community which has a strong spirit of kindness, co operation, friendliness and inclusivity which reaches out across the valley.

Until 2016, I worked full time for Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation Trust hospital as a Critical Care Outreach nurse, and I am very aware of the impact that cuts in the NHS budget are having on our community. 

Currently, I still work part time in Intensive care but when I took retirement one of the reasons I listed for leaving full time work was that I wanted to play a more active role in the community.

I was so inspired by the community strength, determination and action shown after the Boxing Day floods I knew I wanted become more involved, and to help improve our local environment and services, particularly in the Fairfield ward where I live.

During the flood recovery period, I helped out, cleaning and clearing in Hebble End. I also helped painting and decorating a home for a flood evacuee. I have helped to support a community application for a legal right of way, assisted  with litter picking, and I have supported our current and hopefully future councillor Sue,  to organise a poo bag dispenser in the Fairfield area (which I keep filled with clean bags). 

As a Labour Party LGBT member I have helped to organise two successful community events one on education at the Town hall and one, a charity event at the Trades club.

I am a practical, can-do person and as a potential Town councillor I would like to help to improve life in Fairfield and Hebden Bridge.

By listening to the concerns of residents and by picking up ideas people have for the area and giving  those ideas a voice at Town council.

Also  by helping to ensure that services are maintained, and that the environment is improved in line with the Town’s vision for a cleaner, greener sustainable community.

If elected I will do my best for the community of Fairfield and the town of Hebden Bridge.

I have been on Hebden Royd Town Council for four years as a Councillor for Fairfield Ward. It has been a very eventful four years encompassing firstly the catastrophic floods of Boxing Day 2015. I myself and many of my neighbours were affected and I was able to help out in the aftermath both in practical ways and also by liasing with the Community groups who were specifically offering help to local residents.

In 2017, it was my great privilege to become the Town Mayor of Hebden Royd and I met up with and was inspired by the many groups in our community. It was during this year that I began thinking of ways to set up a project which could be supported by the Town Council in order to create a project which could benefit the young people of our town and if re elected I will continue to develop this idea.

I have lived in Hebden Bridge since 2004 and I love and appreciate my adopted town for its diversity and community spirit. I am involved with local activities and I am a member of several local groups.

Whilst on the Town Council I have been a member of the following committees; the Picture House, Community Funding, Neighborhood Plan and Environment, Allotments and Events. I am also a trustee on the Boards of the Community Association and the Hebden Bridge Partnership.

Most of my adult working life has revolved around teaching in Further Education. I taught Law for thirty years in Further Education colleges and helped give many to get a second chance in education. After early retirement I worked with young people with special needs for six years and I found this very rewarding.

At present, I am the public face of an housing charity which supports young people coming out of the care system. I am also a host offering accommodation to those teenagers who find themselves homeless when coming out of care.

I myself have three grown up children and six grandchildren.

I would love to be given the opportunity of being a part of the Town Council for another four years. I would very much like to witness the Flood alleviation work which is soon to begin Fairfield Ward in particular and to continue to respond to the local community in their concerns regarding pressing issues in this ward.

I was born on Scout Bottom in Mytholmroyd and have lived in this scenic valley for most of my life. It’s a pleasure to be part of this friendly community and feel I know the people extremely well.

It was a privilege to be elected as a Hebden Royd Town Councillor for White Lee Ward eight years ago, and in 2016 I was honoured to be made Mayor of Hebden Royd. During my term in office I met some truly inspirational people and represented our towns with pride.

Throughout my time as a local councillor, I have worked hard on many local projects, most recently setting up the ‘Friends of White Lee Memorial Park’. After discovering its history, I worked with the community and Town Council to ensure it was rightfully commemorated and the stone, plaque and bench that are now in situ are testament to this.

I was also instrumental in getting the lighting and benches restored in the Memorial Gardens that were damaged during the 2015 floods and, with the help of Calderdale Council, this is now a well-lit area at night.

I’m delighted to have been involved in the cleaning up of some of
the ‘grot spots’ around the ward, one of which was the former wasteland area at the end of Banksfield Terrace. Many spring bulbs were planted, and due to the continued maintenance of people living nearby it is now thriving and full of colour throughout the year.

My participation with many local community groups is very rewarding. Until January this year, I was the former Treasurer of Royd Regeneration, and remain on the committee. The Mytholmroyd Christmas Market and lights switch-on has become a firm favourite in the village, and I’m delighted to have been involved with this community event since the beginning.

I also attend Flood Alleviation Scheme stakeholder meetings, and have served on the Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd Town Development Board since its inception. I have been very much involved with all aspects of the Neighbourhood Plan where, among other things, we are looking at future developments for business and housing.

As one of the original three flood wardens in Mytholmroyd, this role has shown me first-hand the devastation that flooding can cause. We now have more than twenty dedicated people in these roles who are all volunteers and do an amazing job.

My interests are varied but include wildlife, music and walking our dog. I am keen to make this a green and environmentally friendly place to live, and support the Council’s ambition to become carbon neutral which is one of the reasons why I would love to continue my work on Hebden Royd Town Council.

I live with my partner, Hazel, and our ‘doodle’ dog in White Lee Ward.