Having been born in Farnworth and bred in Horwich, I am proud of my Lancastrian heritage. For most of my life I lived in the former railway town of Horwich, were both my mother and father met and worked at the Loco works.
I started school at Lord Street Primary and moved onto Horwich Parish Church Cof E Primary School I have good memories of the happy times I had at primary school and they played an important part later in my life when changing career to become a primary school teacher.
My early childhood saw many a day with my grandma travelling the rail network persuing my love of places and geographical interests, visiting and finding out about names seen on maps. Or exploring the beautiful countryside around Rivington, the Terraced Gardens and Winter Hill.
From Primary School I moved to Horwich County Secondary School and later Rivington & Blackrod High School to take my A levels. To be honest I found high school too large and not as much fun as my primary school days….perhaps it was all the growing up you had to do !
After A levels I tried my hand at banking, finance, computing and accountancy undertaking my H.N.C and accountancy qualifications. I joined Manchester City Council - City Treasurers Department as an accountancy assistant and discovered the world of Local Government Politics. It was the time of great changes in local government and council debates were fascinating. I became my units union representative at the time when local neighbourhood area offices were being considered and learnt alot about representing colleagues interests.
At home I became involved in a number of community organisations such as the 1471 A.T.C Squadron and also a school governor. I stood for Town Council elections in 1987 and served on Horwich Town Council for eight years, my proudest moment came in 1993 when I became the Town Mayor and raised over £ 5,000 for the charity ChildLine N.W my biggest supporter Elsie - my mum being my Mayoress.
Following a serious motorcycle accident in 1987 I began to reassess what I wanted to do with my life it was during this time I decided to go back to college studying a B.Ed degree at Didsbury. My time as a school governor made me realise I was in the wrong profession and teaching was the life for me.
My first teaching post was at Helmshore County Primary School and I found the whole area of Rossendale such a friendly place. I even gained my first experience as a winning football team coach, when the school team won the Rossendale’s School Cup competition.
Upon gaining promotion and taking a teaching post in Bolton. I moved from Horwich to Chorley in 2000. I immediately fell in love with the place and had the great fortune to be selected and elected for Astley & Buckshaw in the
Chorley Borough Council elections in 2002.
For eighteen months I worked for Lancashire County Council’s Youth & Community Services in Chorley and gained a valuable insight into the needs, hopes, fears and lives of young people in the town.
I served on Astley Village Parish Council having been the Chairman in 2004/05, 2005/06 and part 2008/09. I resigned from the council following the council withdrawing its support from a Young People's project.
I was elected onto Lancashire County Council in 2005 for Chorley North and returned for a second term in 2009. I currently serve on the Cabinet as its Cabinet Member for Young People.
Young people and community involvement are my two major interests.
Since 2002, I have been the project co-ordinator for the residents group Astley Village Action and have secured funding for the community from the Football Foundation. Local Network Fund, Living Spaces, Awards For All, Lancashire Small Sites Reclamation Fund , Lancashire Environmental Fund , Chorley Children's Trust, LCC Local Gateway Grants, Merseyside Community Foundation and Lancashire Community Foundation.
Apart from my council duties I am kept busy working on two local community projects that are dear to my heart. Astley and Buckshaw Juniors Football Club which I founded and now is a FA Charter Standard Club . The club now has three teams, runs a community open coaching session on a Saturday morning and a volunteering scheme. I also organise Young People’s activities during the school the holiday periods with the support of the junior football club and Astley Village Action..
In November of 2005 I opened the Westway Ponds Community Nature Reserve which has been Astley Village Actions' biggest and most ambitious project to date. The 2006 & 2007 holiday activites were again popular and very successful. The Silent Movie project gained slot on television appearing on NorthWest Tonight and several slots on BBC Radio Lancashire.This was followed by the Easter " Tudors Film" .
I play tennis and from the age of 9, when my grandad took me to a Merseyside derby match at Goodison Park ……..a devout Liverpool supporter!