Meet the scientists!

I’ve been a councillor for about 30 years. I am enthusiastic about what I do and I think Darlington Borough Council has done some good things in that time. I try to help people in Northgate Ward by listening to their problems and working with the police and people like that to help to make the area a more pleasant place to live in.
I’m interested in education and in drama, music and art. Also, I have the title of Chair of Economy and Environment Scrutiny Committee which means I work to see that we protect the environment for the future. It also checks on new buildings in the Borough and their design. We look at transport, including road safety and cycling and cycle paths and things like that. The idea is to make Darlington attractive to new companies who might invest here and bring new jobs to the town. I’m also a member of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee which looks after education and the Youth Service.

I usually take my grandson to school first, then check my emails and update my diary. I will probably have a meeting of some sort, or need to talk to someone, at the Town Hall or in Northgate Ward which is the ward I represent. I may have some leaflets to deliver. I try to walk or cycle to all the places I need to be so I ge some exercise that way.
I collect my grandson from school and look after him and his sister until their mother finishes work. I often have a meeting in the early evening. After that I may go out for a drink with friends or go to a film or something
If I have a break during the day, I might have a coffee with friends or look round the shops (though I don’t buy much) as I love clothes and shoes! In my free time I like to read and I also try to write.

I would hope that Darlington is a good place to grow up in, and I think children and young people need to have lots to do out of school. Not everyone can go on to university and I worry about youth unemployment which is bad enough already without the cuts which are coming soon because the Council won’t get as much money from the government as we have had in the past. If young people have no work, it might be a good opportunity for them to do things they like – music, sport, drama, video, IT animation, film-making, painting, photography. I would make the case to keep opportunities open at places like the Forum, the Arts Centre or the Dolphin Centre for young people to do these things.