Dear Voter
I am standing for deputy of St Saviour District 1 as a Reform Jersey candidate because I want to seek a mandate of policies aimed at reducing the islands inequality.
I am Jersey born, but I have lived for some years in Canada. I have been home for 20 years. I work and attend University full time. I am currently completing a BSc hons in Social Science. As a part of my degree I am researching re-offending for HMP La Moye and studying Jersey’s church and parish welfare system.
I was the Highlands College Anti Bullying Ambassador having been trained for the role by the Diana Award organisation. I have also completed evening classes in Counselling Skills.
I have extensive volunteer experience, both with Caring Cooks and with events by Jersey Children’s Charity. I am a single mum to two beautiful children and at various times have been Chair of their school’s PTAs. I am a proactive person and now that my current education is nearing completion, if elected, I will devote my full energy and drive to serving the needs of St. Saviour residents.
As a Reform Jersey candidate I don’t just pledge to implement my own manifesto but also that set out in the full 33 page party manifesto outlined and available on the Reform Jersey website.
I do not just aim to improve the parish in which I live and stand but also to address island issues as a whole. I believe more needs to be done to support the Islands teachers to nurture, support and educate future generations creatively in a way that best suits the children, not to only conform to standardised testing. Schools must develop the whole person to do more than just pass exams. This requires inspirational leadership, which has largely been absent in recent times.
The current States have failed to secure higher education funding beyond the next two years. This leaves both students and their parents unsure that university can be afforded. I promise to support the Reform mandate for securing permanent funding through tax reform to maintain an improved grant system for tuition fees and maintenance grants. I share their aim ensure higher education is available to all who can benefit, along with proper rigorous apprenticeships for those who cannot.
I will champion the offer of on-island degrees, to ensure there is a wide range of courses, both academic and practical aimed at filling the employment gaps in the local public and private sector. Allowing for upward mobility and ensuring Jersey’s future skilled workforce is a priority if we are to bring down net inward migration numbers to sustainable levels. The recent changes in Social Security to cease support for mature students to change direction or to improve their job prospects is a retrograde step revealing that “silo” mentality still pervades much government thinking. This needs to be reversed as a matter of priority, and if elected I will lead the way on improving opportunities for all ages.
