About me
Born, lives and works in the north east of Coventry. Attended Gosford Park Primary and Stoke Park Secondary; and then went onto study at Coventry Technical College and finally Coventry University.
Trading as a high-level fully qualified financial consultant and property trader. Completed a Government Law Course at Coventry University; also completed the CeMAP, the industrystandard qualification for mortgage advice and practice professionals. Joined Coventry City Council in 2012 by beating the Leader of the Lib Dems in Coventry. Three times elected. By the first year, joined the Cabinet as Deputy Cabinet Member for Public Health & Social Care; and Deputy Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board.
Became a full Cabinet member from 2014, leading hundreds in the workforce and a budget of circa £100 million.
European City of Sport 2019
Led and secured the title of European City of Sport 2019 for Coventry. The aim of the year was to “promote and celebrate, in every community, the benefits of sport and physical activity, and to be the catalyst for a fitter, healthier city in the future.” Kickstarted £100 million in investment in a year that saw 170,000 people get involved in sports and physical activity, improving their fitness and wellbeing.
The Wave
Launched from design to completion The Wave, a £36 million UK award-winning, indoor water park in the city centre, kickstarting transformation of the city centre.
A Tree for Every Citizen
First started the concept in 2017 that a tree should be planted for every member of Coventry City. This became policy recently, with the Urban Forestry Strategy; 300,000 trees for Coventry.
Fitness in the Park
While running with the Leader of the Council, not sure how far we had run. Started a concept of Fitness in the Park scheme. Forty-five green spaces and parks across Coventry all now have marked paths using existing paths and some new paths installed with distance maps and whole maps. This has had an impact on over 300,000 people. In one park, usage increased by over 2,000, which directly enhanced the park as a safe place for all communities after my intervention. When meeting Tokyo Olympics Team GB medal winner Chelsea Giles, she said she also trains regularly on one of our tracks, which has helped so many young females to take up sport.
Go CV
Started Go CV card, which offers residents benefit from offers and discounts on events, activities, and attractions. This allows us to support residents without the embarrassment of bringing Passport to Leisure which means they have benefits and/or a disability, etc. Currently 80,000 residents across Coventry have joined Go CV – unbelievable effect for our city. We can give free access to gyms for foster carers, etc.
Marmot City
Honoured to lead City to be now the only “Marmot City” in the world; brilliant partnership with Sir Michael Marmot – the world-renowned expert in understanding that inequalities in life expectancy and health arise out of inequalities in society - they are not inevitable - and there are ethical, social, and economic reasons why they should be prevented. As well as improving health outcomes, reducing inequality in society has been shown to lead to improvements in wellbeing, better mental health, better community and social relations, reduced levels of violence and better educational attainment.
UK City of Culture Trustee
Great honour to be part of the initial meeting where we decided to bid for the City of Culture title. Being the UK City of Culture has brought events in all 42 neighbourhoods in the city, with 77% of the programme, excluding commercial events, co-created with local residents and communities; over 1,200 artists or groups of artists, freelancers and organisations were directly engaged; and 37,000 hours across 14,000 volunteering shifts under-taken by 1,515 fully trained volunteers; over 3,000 community dancers, musicians, poets and makers participated in Coventry’s year; and £172.6 million investment secured into the city as a result of Coventry being awarded the UK City of Culture.
Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board
Chair of Health and Wellbeing Board and West Midlands Health and Wellbeing Board member during the COVID-19 pandemic: led Coventry public health during the whole period as Cabinet Member for Public Health and Sport. Delivered highly visible leadership on the frontline supporting Langar Aid; Coventry Food Bank; bringing support to our most vulnerable communities in Coventry.
Year of Wellbeing
Created this concept alongside Health and Wellbeing Board members to kickstart better health and prevention; interacted with tens of thousands of residents to put population health and wellbeing on the map. In 2019, an estimated 900,000 people across Coventry and Warwickshire engaged with the Year of Wellbeing campaign. Four themes of Child Physical Activity; Workforce Wellbeing; Loneliness and Social Isolation; Celebrating Personal Successes were prioritised for the year, which saw: 130 schools across the area encouraging more activity in and around the school day; 111 businesses and organisations signing up to the Thrive at Work wellbeing accreditation programme; 680 frontline staff contacted to highlight the health and wellbeing impacts of loneliness and isolation; 52 people were shared their wellbeing stories to the wider public; 3,020 pledges from people on how they would improve their wellbeing.
Leading and supporting our communities
Led as the Chair of the Test and Trace subcommittee, leading the response for Coventry including testing and vaccination – in the city that saw the world’s first COVID-19 vaccination outside a clinical trial in December 2020. Supported the launch of the first vaccination centre at Coventry Muslim Resource Centre and Indian Community Centre, working with local community leaders to increase vaccination uptakes amongst some of our most seldom-heard communities. Engaged our communities with time and multiple meetings to reassure colleagues we need to protect most vulnerable and joined leaders and experts in public health regularly in the community to appeal residents to take up vaccination urgently. Visiting hospital when nobody else would dare and helped at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire during COVID-19 as a volunteer in vaccination clinics. Worked with Lord Khan to help vaccination efforts nationally – selfless determination to counter-attack misinformation from conspiracy theorists. Worked tirelessly to support communities, with positive remarks from Sir Chris Whitty; Sir Chris Ham; Sir Michael Marmot; Kings Fund; etc. Everything I have done I have always tried to uplift all communities in an efficient and free manner. My family and friends were not surprised that I risked my own life to help our communities within the first month of lockdown by visiting sensitive areas and communities, e.g., getting significant donations to food banks and Langar Aid including support with isolation and personal finance.
Alan Higgs Centre
Investment in a state-of-the-art fifty metre pool at Alan Higgs Centre, with a pool floor that can be raised to deck level for users who would like to paddle, while also being able to be dropped all the way to two metres. The result of this investment and engagement with the public has been a massive participation and increase in physical activity and sport for residents in the city.