Why NOW?

I have lived on the Island all of my life, so I am very familiar with its best and worst bits. After various seasonal jobs whilst at school, my first full time job was as a Subpostmaster in Ryde.

I loved chatting with all of my customers, listening to their stories, helping them when I could and learning so much about what really matters to people. Unfortunately my office was closed during the Network Reinvention, leaving a hole in the local community. I turned the old post office into a charity shop for a while to raise money for the Barely Born Appeal at St Mary's Hospital, with the amazing support of some selfless local residents who ran it.

My husband and I had moved to Shanklin with our young family to run a hotel, which was brilliant fun, and taught me a lot about the tourism trade. We now let property to private tenants, which has allowed me to see clearly what a dire shortage of housing we have here on our Island. 

I have two children, a nineteen-year-old daughter and a seventeen-year-old son, so I am very aware of the concerns that parents may have and the challenges our children can face in and out of school. My current favourite things to do are metal detecting, running and camping. I have organised charity events, such as the Mods & Rockers Round the Island Run, which raised money for the Hospice. I regularly take part in charity runs, walks and fund raising events that support Island charities. I really want to try and make things better, and running for MP is my best chance to help change things, before it's too late.