I was elected to Ripley Town Council in May 2023. 

 

Since moving to Denby in the early eighties, I have enjoyed being involved with many community groups and activities and worked with the most friendly, capable, and inspirational people. I leaned that when we work together, we can achieve amazing things. I was able to learn how the role of councillor was instrumental in bringing people together and facilitating progress in our communities. 

 

We live in an area with beautiful countryside, important heritage and history and talented people, but this does need people to make sure it is cared for, for the sake of future generations. 

 

There are still many issues to be addressed to improve the lives of local residents. I hope that through the role of town councillor, I would be able to work with others to achieve a better quality of life for the people of our township. 

 

I would like to work towards making our town centre more vibrant, attractive, and sustainable, encouraging small businesses, increasing tourism, recreation and promoting sites of historical interest. I would like to see more events that bring the communities and generations together and provide more opportunities and interest for our young people. 

 

I would explore ways in which we can reduce the amount of litter and dog mess on our streets and parks. 

 

Most importantly, I would work to protect nature and the greenbelt and explore how we can reduce the impacts of climate change. 

 

TBC 

 

I am a newly retired secondary school science and humanities teacher. I live with my husband Jonathan, who is a physics tutor and beekeeper. We have taught here, in Turkey, Sudan and China. 

 

I have three children and four grandchildren. We very much enjoy spending time with them. 

 

My interests include gardening, wildlife, antiques and tea shops. I love reading, both fiction and non-fiction. I have an interest in local history, arts and crafts; we are life members of Derby Museum & Art Gallery. I am still learning to play the electric guitar and enjoy live music. 

 

An interesting fact - during lockdown, I designed, and my husband and I built our own stone circle, with a diameter of pi metres, in our garden, representing the cardinal points, sunrises and sunsets on the solstices and marking the sunrise on the birthdates of John Flamsteed, Florence Nightingale, Erasmus Darwin and Joseph Wright. 

 

I work as a volunteer with Transition Belper’s Zero Waste team. We are currently working to encourage local businesses to be more sustainable and reduce the amount of plastic they sell. 

 

I have just started training to be a guide at Heage Windmill. I also enjoy visiting the coffee mornings, craft groups, community and play groups in Heage. There is always good company to be had and something interesting going on. 

 

I am on the Horsley Woodhouse Carnival committee and in Kilburn and Horsley Woodhouse.  

 

I subscribe to the Butterley Ironworks Trust newsletter and am fascinated by the industrial history in our area and learning more through their lectures. 

 

I am also Borough Councillor for Heage and Ambergate Ward.