Before I was first elected in 2017 I gave a pledge that I would not claim expenses or accept any other perks. Since then I have been true to my word. I have not claimed a penny piece in expenses or travel, I have declined all taxpayer-funded hospitality, I have returned my councillor’s free car park pass and I have never accepted any taxpayer-funded food or drink.
The February meeting of Kent County Council was moved from County Hall to the Kent County Showground in Detling. Being so isolated and far from any shops, cafes and restaurants, it was agreed that a sandwich lunch would be provided for members of the County Council. The cost of the lunch was included in the venue hire charge, so even if I didn’t have the lunch (or brought my own), taxpayers would still pay for it. I have therefore made a donation of £25 to a local charity which supports foster carers.
Some people think I am a bit “precious” about things like this, but I do feel very strongly about it. First of all, I gave a pledge before you elected me, and I have no intention of breaking it. Secondly, care workers, cleaners, home helps and other local government workers do not get a free lunch, and I genuinely don’t see why councillors should either.
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Many residents will know that I have a long history of supporting those living with mental health issues and trying to raise awareness and secure better funding.
I was therefore honoured to be asked to be Kent County Council's Mental Health Champion. I will hold this role jointly with Jordan Meade, a young councillor from Gravesham.
The role is totally voluntary (there is no payment or expenses). Whether I will have the resources to make a difference, time will tell. But I am going to do my best.
Mental health is very complicated and there is no simple or single solution. Anxiety, depression, OCD, health anxiety, PTSD are just the tip of the iceberg. Mental health can lead to social isolation, loneliness, addiction, and too often to self harm and death.
I hope to focus my work on community resilience. But what does this actually mean? During the worst of the pandemic we actually saw remarkable improvements in certain types of mental health. Those who were lonely or living with social isolation suddenly saw a re-awakening of community. Neighbours started chatting, phoning and generally taking an interest in their vulnerable neighbours. As life slowly returns to normal, we are again seeing an increase in people reporting loneliness and isolation.
I would like to see every Parish Council and Borough/District Council have a mental health champion who can work together and share good ideas. I want Kent CC to produce a toolkit for community engagement, bringing together in one handy document some great ideas of how neighbours and communities can work together to tackle loneliness. And I would like a small pot of money to offer practical support to get these schemes up and running where needed.
A few months ago I was approached for a donation to finance a community get together. The plan was for a coffee and cake event to bring together all the villagers who had been alone since lockdown. The amount they wanted was just £100 (too small to qualify for a grant from KCC) so I wrote a personal cheque. The money covered the cost of the hall hire and paid for the purchase of tea, coffee, milk and biscuits. There was no charge to attend and over 120 people came along. A raffle raised £200 - enough to pay for the next two get togethers. These events now happen twice a month and there is enough money in the bank to pay for a summer outing.
There is no reason this cannot be happening in every town and village in Kent, and I would like to play a part in making this happen. Sometimes people need a little bit of cash to get the ball rolling, sometimes they lack the confidence or skills, sometimes they just need consent and encouragement. The benefit of bringing lonely people out of their homes and giving them something to look forward to, is priceless.
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