“I would be honoured to represent Lindfield, alongside my LibDem colleague Cavan Wood.  Our beautiful village at the heart of Mid Sussex is special and needs support to stay that way. Following decades of complacent representation, issues have been building up without resolution … “ (continued below).

I have lived in Lindfield with my husband and children for 26 years, relocating back to Sussex after a gap of 17 years studying and working mainly in London. A geography graduate from UCL I am a Chartered Accountant and through audit and consultancy gained business experience from a wide variety of small and medium sized companies before becoming Finance Director of Clarins UK Ltd in 1992.
Leaving this behind to bring up my family, I started a small retail business in 2013 which has grown steadily and successfully over the last 10 years.

Born and brought up in Brighton this part of Sussex is home. Preserving the local landscape is important to me and I support our vital open spaces and countryside. As a member of Green Lib Dems I am keen to promote the consideration of environmental issues, putting tackling climate change forefront in decision making and promoting bio-diversity.

An important part of Liberal Democrat policy is the recognition of the value of community. These last 30 months I have played an active part in the campaign to re-open Clair Hall, with some refurbishment, but to bring back to the town a much-needed theatre and performance space and community venue for meetings, exhibitions and parties as soon as possible. There has been a totally illogical decision to permanently shut it down without a viable alternative venue. Since the 2020 closure more than £300,000 has been spent on legal and consultancy fees to defend this action and advise on its future but leaving us no nearer a viable proposal.

I am proud to be on the committee of the Haywards Heath Arts Festival and have huge praise and respect for how the organisation pulled together a week of activity and entertainment last summer from dance and music to art and comedy, bring people of all ages together to celebrate local talent and also to raise money for Ukraine and local charities.  Clair Hall as a focal venue for this was much missed!

For more than a year, almost from its very start, I have enjoyed volunteering on the front desk of the fabulous Lindfield Repair Café. So much energy, motivation and “getting things done” from the organiser Trevor, and skill from the repairers themselves. Fabulous cakes and very welcome teas and coffees too.  Highly recommended for all kinds of repairs from jewellery and clocks to carpentry, leatherwork, bikes and garden tools.  Such a wonderful combination of saving items from landfill, saving money from buying new and rescuing much loved toys and family heirlooms!

I would be honoured to represent Lindfield, alongside my LibDem colleague Cavan Wood.  Our beautiful village at the heart of Mid Sussex is special and needs support to stay that way. Following decades of complacent representatives, issues have been building up without resolution:

The last few years has seen the development of ever more housing around the village, eating into our precious green spaces, and to compound the issue, without the necessary improvement in infrastructure contributing to the crisis at the doctors and shortage of school places.  Liberal democrats believe in providing housing needed by residents, for older people with changing needs as well as the desperate need for affordable housing for our young adults and families. Housing built as needed by locals and not that best suited to be profitable for developers.

We have all seen the issues of road safety, with ever more traffic and dangerous junctions to some of the worst potholes in the county. Also to the chaos on the roads surrounding our schools every morning and afternoon.

Local charities and organisations have stepped up to fill the gaps in our local services, more support from local government would enable them to meet their aims to do more.

There is much to say that is good about our village, but also much that can be improved by listening to residents and dealing with issues as they arise.

There will be huge pressures on finances in the next few years and Liberal Democrats will ensure that money spent is well spent to run our services and safeguard our communities. I hope with my background in finance and my business experience to have the opportunity to contribute to decisions on investment, to budgetary planning and to scrutinise procurement procedures. With 26 years of living in Lindfield, bringing up my family here, and being involved with the local community I will be in a good position to understand our priorities and be a strong representative.

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