A little about me
I worked locally for 33 years as a woodwork machinist at F. Hills & Sons and for as long as I can remember have been involved with the trade union movement and politics. I was first elected as a councillor in 1982 to Cleveland County Council and then in 1983 to Stockton Borough Council. I was Leader of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council for about 17 years. I was Mayor of the Council in 1996-1997 and in 2006 I was awarded an OBE for services to local government in the North East. In my free time I enjoy gardening, walking and travelling. I have even won prizes at small local vegetable shows for my show leeks and onions!
More about my council and community work
I am a member of the Tristar Housing Board and was formerly chair of Housing at Stockton Borough Council. I am also Chair of the Executive Scrutiny Committee at Stockton Borough Council. I am a member of the Housing & Community Safety Select Committee, the Audit Committee and Chair of the Appeals & Complaints Committee at Stockton Council. I am also a governor of Oak Tree Primary School.
I sit on various bodies in the region including the Association of North East Councils, The Regional Assembly, the Tees Valley branch of the Local Government Association, the Stockton Renaissance Board and I am chair of the Regional Housing Board.
I am a founder member and Chair of the Management Board of the Newtown Resource Centre, which is a community interest company, based in the former Newtown Infant School. A link to their website can be found in the external links section of this page. The centre opened officially in March 2005 after a year's worth of hard work. It now employs 61 people and has a turnover of nearly a million pounds. The Resource Centre hosts a wide range of activities and different community based groups including SureStart, Eastern Ravens Trust, Citizens Advice, Action Team For Jobs, Stockton Online (Computer access and training), Children's Drama Group, Gardening, Art Club, Book Club, Slimming World and a regular Cleveland Police Beat Surgery as well as a cafe. Please take a look at the website for more details or call the centre on 01642 614126.
The management committee of the Newtown Resource Centre has now taken over the management of two further resource centres in the borough and together with Accent Housing and the Thornaby Five Lamps association are discussing the formation of probably the largest community interest company in the region.
