I was born in a small Council estate in Northern Ireland, my Dad, having left the Army, moved from Wales and got a job as a mechanic in a textile factory. My mum was a School Secretary. We moved houses quite a bit over the years as employment in the textile industry shrank and our family finally moved to England in the 1970s. Despite there not being much money around my parents sacrificed a lot to make sure I got a good education and encouraged me to work hard and believe nothing was out of reach.
I was the first person in my family to go to University and did a degree in Zoology at Dundee University. I worked in IT, Cyber Security, Airline Operations and HR for British Airways for 39 years, having held many senior management roles including Group Head of Information Security, Head of People Services and Head of Recruitment.
During the COVID pandemic, I organised two international aid flights which enabled UK charities to send oxygen concentrators and masks to India where people were dying because of shortages. I now volunteer as a trustee and chair a charity fund looking after current and former employees in financial distress.
I have an MBA and I am a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. I have a strong business background with particular expertise and interest in information technology, international security, defence and transport.
I believe passionately in maximising opportunities for all and the importance of providing the best education for children and young people. We couldn't afford to buy books when I was at primary school and, as a result, I understand how important Libraries are, especially to families. As a councillor, I expanded the local library service by reducing their running costs to be able to increase opening hours. I also opened the first seven-day-a-week library service in Woodley Library making it easier for parents who both work to help their children and borrow books.
I am truly a local candidate, having lived with my husband in Earley for almost 40 years, we have a grown-up son who is a medical research scientist.
In that time, I have been delivering for residents on Earley Town Council and Wokingham Borough Council and I now lead the Conservative Group.
My record for our area includes securing investment and improvements for parks and leisure centres in Earley and Woodley, investing in repairing and building new roads, and delivering sustainable numbers of new council and affordable homes.
As your MP, I will work with the Government to secure greater investment in local services and infrastructure for our community and to make sure good local schools are available to give every person the best chance in life. I will also use my experience, working in a major international company to ensure the government make the changes required to help business and individuals thrive.
