I was born in Hereford and grew up in Tupsley with my parents and three siblings. I attended Hampton Dene Primary, The Bishop of Hereford’s Bluecoat School and then went on to do my A ‘levels at Hereford Sixth Form College. After completing a degree at Warwick University I went on to obtain a teaching qualification in Primary Education. I taught in inner city schools in East London between 1998 and 2001 which is where I met my husband James.

In 2001 I returned to my roots and bought a small house in Tupsley and started teaching infants at St. Paul’s Primary School. James, who is a paramedic in the city, and I married in 2002 at St. Pauls Church. Our son Thomas was born in 2004.

Over the last few years I have been fortunate enough to be able to give something back to my community through voluntary work and community fund raising.  In 2010 with two other mums, I became one of the founder members of Wellies Action Group. We were able to secure over £100,000 in external funding to refurbish the play area at Quarry Park in Wellington Place, Hereford.

In 2013, I joined the newly formed Central Tupsley Community Group working with a local County Councillor as part of a team organising community events in Quarry Park. As a result of this work I was encouraged to stand for election as a City Councillor in Tupsley in 2015.

I have greatly enjoyed working as a councillor for the last four years, particularly my work on the Community Development Committee. We have helped a range of groups and organisations within the city by awarding grants for a variety of projects.

Throughout my adult life I have been closely involved in the care and development of young people. It is such a privilege to be the 638^th Mayor of Hereford and want to use my time as Mayor to make a difference in my home city. The theme of my mayoral year is going to be ‘Inspiring Young Lives’.

My Mayoral Charities are THE CLD TRUST who provide counselling, learning and development support to young people. Their vision is to offer timely, accessible, high quality and safe support. My other charity is THE PHOENIX BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT SERVICE. They help children, young people and their families when someone close to them dies.