Having lived here for 5 years and been a regular contributor to The Diss Express and Park Radio I also had my own record shop in Diss for three years.

Full statement

I was part of a community shop No 8 Market place where I felt the real spirit and voice of the town. Last summer I introduced people from the Market to Adrian Ramsey and following the GE result realised there is genuine hope out there. I do owe some of enthusiasm to speaking with people to the Lib Dem’s. I campaigned on council by-elections and national ones also. My good friend Bobby Dean is now an MP, Bobby and I worked closely way back around Brexit.

I see the enthusiasm but enormous struggle within our community to find a positive narrative. I would love to see more investment and time donations put into filling empty shops in Diss with active projects that help relieve the strain put on single parents and families that will soon be taking on the heavy lifting set by Labour’s budget. I feel that Zack’s words can be echoed down into every single community. I would like to see the basics tackled head on, such as ways of tackling climate change in micro actions and bigger ones such as a 20 MPH limit throughout Diss and Roydon. I would like to see post school clubs for children of all ages that look to educate and encourage different practical learning skills. I would love to see local businesses brought in to help donate to these causes but willingly and proudly. An example would be the now empty Aldi which presumably will be empty for months or years to come. I would also like to try and turn heads towards a need for community run entertainment hubs like a cinema.

What excites me is the prospect of people rejecting hate speech from Reform and looking towards what they can do within their community to both help themselves and their town or village. I think once people see Green action within their community they’ll be far more likely to then take on simple acts that help the environment. I would love to be part of taking on a role that helped push the Green agenda but also work with people that want to help. I feel being honest with people about wind farms and solar fields, helping people and pushing for fairer placements of greener energy sources such as car parks, new housing developments.

I love speaking with people and I want to find a solution on a micro level to the real threat Diss and Roydon faces. From flags to the food banks or the litter we see clogging up the countryside. I’m enthusiastic and absolutely ready to get started. I would really like to build a fun and willing team around me that galvanises the new and old members. Being as I joined the party recently I feel I have a lot in common with the new surge and vibrancy of those people and a willingness to learn from others.