Cambridge City Councillor for Petersfield and Executive Councillor for Planning, Building Control, and Infrastructure
I made it around the Cambridge Half Marathon on Sunday March 3rd, and was boosted by the amazing support from friends and family – and we raised over £450 for the important work of ‘Something To Look Forward To, a charity that benefits people affected by cancer who are also suffering as a result of loss of income due to their illness. The charity provides positive things to look forward to generously donated by companies and individuals.
Thank you!
**** SPONSOR ME HERE ****
On Sunday March 3rd I’ll be running the Cambridge half marathon again, and have been training for a while using an excellent app that whispers encouraging words in my ear to accompany my playlist of fast-paced songs. It’s working so far, but the real test is yet to come.
I’ve mostly been training in Cambridge, joining the many others on Midsummer Common and Stourbridge Common, but had the occasional session in the Yorkshire Dales, which is significantly hillier and offers a very different challenge. I’m sure my calves will recover..
I’m running to support the important local charity ‘Something To Look Forward To’ which provides positive things for people affected by cancer who are also suffering as a result of loss of income due to their illness. It relies on donations from companies and individuals.
If you’d like to sponsor me and help me reach my goal of £300 then you can do so on the People’s Fundraising website.
Thank you!
The application to fell three trees on St Matthew’s Piece was rejected by the City Council planning committee today.
This application has had a lot of attention, and many residents attended the committee, to call for the protection of all trees. Several spoke including Friends of St Matthew’s Piece and Petersfield Labour ward councillors.
Unusually, there was no recommendation on whether the application should be accepted or refused, but the reasons for refusal were clear and strong. The debate that followed was rigorous and acknowledged the many residents who took time to write into object.
The final, formal reason for refusal was comprehensive and robust. The decision was unanimous.
This is what I said in my statement:
Continue reading “Saving the Trees on St Matthew’s Piece”The recent attack on Israel carried out from Gaza by Hamas was an appalling act of terrorism that killed many civilians, and has been rightly condemned.
Israel has the right to defend itself, but the current actions of the Israeli government seem to amount to collective punishment of the people of Gaza and may be in breach of international law. They have created a humanitarian crisis in Gaza and millions of people who played no part in the attacks, many of them children, are suffering. People in Gaza have no food, water, or power. Hospitals cannot function. There is no safe place, no exit, and currently very little aid is being allowed in.
I grieve for everyone killed or harmed, in Gaza or in Israel, by acts of terror or in retaliation. I want Hamas to stop terrorising not just Israel but the population of Gaza. I want the Israeli government to turn from its current path and operate within international law, allowing aid and supplies to a desperate population that has already suffered so much.
And I want those politicians and others in the UK who may have some influence on the Israeli government, particularly the leadership of the Labour Party, to make it clear that Israel must pull back from causing such suffering to those living in Gaza. Standing to one side is to side with the death of many innocent people, and we must speak out.
I also endorse the statement which was read by Mayor Jenny Gawthrope Wood at the meeting of Cambridge City Council on October 19 2023. It is published on the council website, but I wanted to reproduce it here:
Continue reading “Gaza”I’m really pleased that Pure Clean Water, a documentary made by my friend Tony Eva, is screening at the Cambridge Film Festival – and I’m in it!
It concerns the water crisis in the greater Cambridge area, and particularly looks at the impact on our precious chalk streams
It is screening on Wednesday 25 October at 1820 and Thursday 26 October at 1420 at the Arts Picturehouse – details on the CFF website. And I will be taking part in a discussion about the film after the Wednesday screening.
You can find out more on the Pure Clean Water website.
