Having lived around Kingston all my life, I've always loved the strong encouragement of arts, our beautiful green spaces, and the diversity of shops and cuisines.

Full statement

Since moving in to the borough itself, I find myself falling in love with the communities and opportunities around, and I endeavour to continue bringing out and developing the best Kingston Town has to offer.

Coming from a low-income background, and being careful experienced, I find myself connecting with residents all around Kingston about the struggles faced as a result of poor services, high council tax, and worries about the future if these conditions continue. As a renter, I understand that soaring housing prices only add to those fears. Kingston Town needs more affordable and social housing, and services which are worth their costs. Following the examples of local Labour boroughs like Merton, I aim to push the council towards council-run services, and a local plan with social and affordable housing as a priority. We can see all over Kingston that when profit comes before people, we get unaffordable high rises that drive local residents away instead of housing them. Alongside my colleagues, I aim to put residents and their needs at the forefront, rather than modern looking housing which serves no one.

As the eldest of four, I see firsthand the impact of declining spaces for children and young people. I've been there, trying to find places for my siblings to attend youth clubs or teen-friendly events, and I share the same concerns as so many parents and grandparents; we aren't providing enough for our children, and this must change. As someone who was never a fan of sports, due my disability, I worry for the young people like me, who don't want to or cannot participate in sports clubs, whose only options are to find parks to hang around at with friends. In a borough with such love of street art, theatre, and diverse festivals and musical events, we don't provide nearly enough of these opportunities to our children. I aim to work with Achieving for Children, local schools, and our wealth of artistic organisations, to bring more opportunities to our youth. I also intend to bring more awareness of council grants and funding, helping to fund free spaces for disadvantaged youths, making sure we provide for our children.

As Secretary of the Kingston Disability Network, it is my duty to understand and advocate for the needs of disabled residents and organisations across the borough. I know there is still so much more to be done to support disabled residents, but I believe that a combination of lived experiences like my own and an open mind in listening to residents is key to working towards equal access and opportunity in Kingston. I also recognise how deeply accessibility benefits communities overall, with its positive impacts touching more than just those with disabilities. Improving street signage and markings helps all of us to move safely around. Running more bus routes means not only do mobility impaired residents have a greater chance of getting a seat and reduced likelihood of injury, but parents can board with their buggies without worrying their children will be bashed or tripped over, encouraging them to take trips out.

On the doors in Kingston, we hear so often about bad rubbish collections leaving waste across the streets, and even with amazing local groups like the Friends of Fairfield Park, our green spaces could still use some extra love, especially the areas without a Friends of group to keep them clean and litter-free. In Council, I aim to push connections between Glendale and local communities, making it quick and easy for residents to arrange local clean ups, and ensuring our contractors do their fair share. I lead by example, having organised and attended park clean ups, and in connection with local organisations like the Kingston Environment Centre, I know our borough is so well equipped to shine, if only we make it easier to take those steps.

Our local businesses make Kingston Town such a wonderful place to visit. Still, we hear all too often of small businesses struggling to keep afloat with high business costs and rents. I aim to foster closer connections with Kingston First to support our small businesses, as well as taking time to share our local gems. It's so important to support these often family run shops, and I strive to work closely with owners to identify and solve the problems they face.