We are delighted to showcase our 2023 Local Election Green Candidates below:
All Saints
Bernard is a husband, father of three children and has eight grandchildren.
Born on the Isle of Sheppey, Bernard has a long association with Kent as well as travelling the world, first as a Merchant Navy Navigation Officer Cadet and later as a Chartered Architect.
After qualifying as an Architect, Bernard spent the first twelve years of his career in Architecture in Local Authorities and Private Practices in the United Kingdom followed by twenty-six years working for a Government Department and then his own practice in Botswana before returning to Kent where he worked for a further eight years in his own architectural practice.
Bernard is interested in self-sufficiency and tries to grow much of his own organic food. He believes that nations can adopt a similar self-reliant approach by protecting the environment and treasuring their arable resources.
In the United Kingdom the construction industry is responsible for more than half of our carbon emissions.
An understanding and appreciation of the environment and its many attributes has led to a conviction that all our buildings can be net zero carbon while at the same time producing surplus energy and providing their owners with income.
Bernard is working with the West Kent Branch of the Royal Institute of British Architects to devise ways for everyone to have safe, secure and affordable housing.
Vested interests and financial incentives to policy makers are preventing our country from controlling climate change and from protecting our endangered wildlife.
A failure to comprehend how large inappropriate developments obtained planning approval, led Bernard to study for a Town Planning qualification early in his career.
Forty years later, developers are still getting planning approval for projects that bear no relationship to basic good planning principles.
In retirement, Bernard is still endeavouring to challenge those who want to build the ‘wrong thing in the wrong place’, while trying not to forget to prune his raspberry canes.
Chatham Central & Brompton
Cuxton, Halling & Riverside
Matt Nightingale was born in Cuxton and attended Cuxton Infants and Primary school before studying at Meopham School a short distance away. Despite a short hiatus from living in the village in 2019 he has lived here continuously. He served as a councillor for Cuxton Parish Council so understands what's involved in local politics.
Matt currently volunteers with the Cuxton Countryside Group (CCG) who meet once a month to maintain and keep clear public footpaths ensuring they are accessible for all as well as helping with ad-hoc activities such as tree pruning.
Matt is a professional gardener who set up his own business in 2016, he works locally and has built up a good reputation with local clients. He works alongside his partner Tom.
Whilst saving for their own home Matt and his partner are living with Matt's parents. They hope to be able to buy locally, so Matt is acutely aware of the uphill struggle, that they and others in his generation face as house prices continue to increase.
Matt originally founded 'Cuxton Village Facebook' group, the page grew in size to over 2000 members and because of ongoing community and work commitments he handed over control for the page to fellow neighbours. Matt brings communities together, making their voices heard.
Matt is a dedicated, passionate, community centred man who really wants to change the way politics is done here in Medway. He will make an outstanding councillor for the ward and he has the backing from everyone here at Medway Greens. Change is on the horizon.
Cat worked at Medway Youth Trust for nearly 15 years running programmes and services to support young people with personal support; employability and careers; and skills development. She now work for a national charity that empowers young people to use their voice to influence decisions that affect them.
Cat has always been very passionate about children and young people having the best start in life. She believes that looking after our environment is connected to the well-being of all people but especially the younger generation.
Cat is very active in Medway trying to support initiatives to protect our green spaces, improve air quality and generally look after nature. She live in Rochester with her husband and little boy, who just started school in September.
Cat is very keen to see a different approach to politics, where politicians meaningfully engage and collaborate with those they represent and work together with other politicians from across the political spectrum to do what is in the best interests of the communities they serve. She has a post-grad diploma in Environment & Sustainability. She is a committee member for Friends of The Vines and helped organise 'The Cherry Picnic' events. She co-founded Rochester Eco Hub and Medway Environment Action Network as well as volunteering for Climate Emergency UK. Cat is a valued member of Medway Greens and has been part of the coordinator's team driving us forward for the past 3 years. Change is on the horizon.
Fort Horsted
Matthew was born and lives in Medway, is a husband and father. He grew up on Davis Estate, and both he and his eldest son attended Horsted School.
He has worked as a writer for 15 years, and is currently the News Editor of an internationally read magazine focused on studying abroad. Previously he worked as an English language teacher in Japan, Spain and the UK, and studied Politics at the University of Leeds.
Matthew joined the Green Party eight years ago after developing an interest in environmental issues, climate change and an alternative approach to politics that puts the natural world and people at the centre of decision making.
He is passionate about living more sustainably, reducing waste and lessening our impact on the environment. Matthew believes that a Green Party voice on Medway Council would bring a much-needed different perspective to local issues, help to oppose over development in the area, and hold the Council to the account over inaction on the Climate Emergency that it declared in 2019.
Change is on the horizon.
Fort Pitt
Karen moved, with her family, to the Wilson Avenue area of Rochester, in 1994. Her three boys were educated at the Maths School and Thomas Aveling, before all moving away for university and their careers, leaving Karen and her husband to build the latter part of their lives.
“I am a regular local public transport user; A functional and affordable public transport infrastructure, which serves all current communities and is central to the planning of new ones, is top of my list of priorities”.
Karen started a not-for-profit company in 2017, after over 25 years teaching in Medway. “We work with career changers, work returners, refugees and students and help people gain skills in coding and data. These skills are in demand and will make people attractive to a range of potential employers. A greener future is likely to be highly technology driven and we need to build resilient, local communities, with the appropriate skills.”
Karen wants to help to ensure that we all have access to affordable green energy, efficient public transport, energy efficient housing, local work and the skills and knowledge needed to make good decisions.
Change is on the horizon.
Gillingham North
Jeremy' s been raised and has lived in Medway his whole life, and like most of us he’s fed up with how poorly local issues are being managed and prioritised. "Medway is a very divided area, but there is one thing which unites us all; and that’s the environments we share and air we breathe". Recent political catastrophes have proven just how much our systems are in desperate need of change, which is why a vote for Jeremy will help ensure the status-quo is changed.
“We’ve long been fed narratives like “that’s how it is, things never change so get used to it,” when referring to the common hardships we face. However, now more than ever is your opportunity to contribute towards genuine change to disprove these myths.”
Jeremy will bring a much needed fresh perspective to the current ways Medway Council operates. Gillingham residents deserve Green councillors working together as a team to bring the change we all so desperately need.
Outside of politics, Jeremy has spent the last couple of years working in technology and innovation, working for a building society which champions sustainability and using technology for social causes.
“If there’s one thing you can count on, it's that I will give 110% to everything that comes my way and together we can make change possible.”
Change is on the horizon.
Gillingham South
Daniel is a Landscape Gardener who has run his own business since 2008. He has seen first hand the change in his customers tastes and passing fashion. He no longer installs fake grass and would like to see the material banned. He only became involved in politics recently. "We need to focus on a just transition whereby those with the least pay the most". I've worked for people from all; age, race, cultural and financial backgrounds, and the move towards environmentally friendly materials is slowly increasing. We must support both individuals and small business owners to make sure the Green choice is both cost-effective and easy. The Green Party is the only party that truly understand what is needed for our futures.
Change is on the horizon.
Hempstead & Wigmore
Kat has worked in the commercial property sector as a Chartered Building Surveyor for 16 years in some of the UK's leading consultancies and Real Estate Companies such as Jones Lang LaSalle, Deloitte and LandSec. She has used her influence to drive a more sustainable agenda to existing practices and help find ways for clients to meet their sustainable objectives.
Kat also runs The Circle Refill Hub, which provides a delivery service to Medway residents offering plastic-free shopping, helping our community reduce their household waste.
Kat lives in Rainham with her husband and two daughters. She has been so inspired by the influence of the Rainham Eco Hub on our community and the ripple effect this is having on the town. Taking action locally is proving to make where we live a better place for all of us.
Kat believes politics should be a place for people who care and who want to serve their communities and she is keen to see a change. Change is on the horizon.
Hoo St Werburgh & High Halstow
Julian is a local, hard-working, small business owner and expert advisor to the building industry, specialising in dispute resolution. He loves living in this beautiful area. “Our community is wonderful, but recently it has come under pressure from excessive house building and associated road building, which is putting our unique environment and residents’ health at risk”.
Julian will use his extensive training and negotiation skills to bring about much-needed change. We must make sure all the villages on the Hoo Peninsula retain their special character and remain a great place for our children and grandchildren to grow up in and to live in – Julian is determined to protect this important legacy for us all.
Julian works hard and gets things done. It’s clear - the community needs a councillor with a strong voice who will properly stand up for us and stand up for our environment. A Green councillor who is backed by a strong Green team with all their combined expertise and energy who will speak up to power, who will speak the truth and get things done around here. “I will be that councillor for you and for yours. I will speak out against this madness - for our future and for our health and well-being.”
Change is on the horizon
Lordswood & Walderslade
Luton
Rainham North
Trish is a chartered electrical engineer and has worked in a variety of engineering environments including the water industry and healthcare estates.
She has been in the green party for 20 years and was Medway Greens election agent for a few years before a 7-year stint working in the prestigious Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge as head of engineering services.
Trish is now permanently back in Medway, working in healthcare estates in Kent, and keen to give the people of Rainham North an opportunity to vote for the Greens. She has stood previously in the local elections and was parliamentary candidate in 2010 for Gillingham and Rainham where she made an ethical point of refusing to share a hustings platform with the BNP, unlike the labour and conservative candidates.
Trish wants to see Greens on Medway Council to raise the level of understanding of the climate emergency from how it might impact at a local level due to flooding risk and heatwaves to the greater impact on the planet, on global wildlife and on resources such as water and food.
Change is on the horizon.
Rainham South East
Mary has been a member of the Green Party for more than 15 years but had been active in environmental matters before that. She was a founding member of the action against the Eon coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth; which was successfully prevented for good in 2010. The campaign was started and funded by WDM, now Global Justice.
More recently she has been centrally involved in local campaigns against over-development across Medway. Mary is Medway Green Party's Treasurer and a member of our core team.
Rainham South West
Liz has worked in the charity sector for the past 16 years, working for the National Trust and Macmillan Cancer Support (Liz was the lead fundraiser for the £1.2m cancer unit built at Medway hospital in 2011).
Liz co-founded the Rainham Eco Hub along with Kayleigh Ward back in 2020. She continues to be inspired by her fellow Rainham residents who are becoming empowered to improve their environment, following decades of apathy and inaction from the current political regime.
Liz is passionate that ‘viewing decisions through an environmental lens’ will improve the area for everyone. Improving the wellbeing of residents, reducing strain on the NHS (e.g. poor air quality leads to increased respiratory conditions), and bringing communities back together.
With 70% loss of biodiversity across the planet including here in Medway, a net loss of trees locally in the past decades, unchecked housing development on green spaces and countless opportunities to improve Rainham, missed, it’s time to think differently and expect better.
Liz is a proven community leader and has helped plant over 3000 trees in the past 3 years and helped organise and attend over 250 litter picks. Rainham Eco Hub won the ‘Pride in Medway Environmental Award’ and was commended in BBC 'Make a Difference' Awards in 2022. Liz has clearly demonstrated her love for the planet and for her home here in Rainham. Change is on the horizon.
Rochester West & Borstal
Stuart will be standing for the Green Party in Rochester West and Borstal on Thursday May 4th. Stuart lives in Borstal and has spent his life working around the world on fair and just transitions to a sustainable economy. He would like to help, and with your support, we know he can win. "There is a local environmental and social inequality problem, and we need to fix this here as well as at the national level. I think that if we in the Rochester West and Borstal Ward have the will to come together to make our voices heard we can achieve this. Stuart will be standing as a Green Party councillor for the ward on three things:
1) To develop a space where our voice can be directly heard on our Council.
2) To enable and incentivise citizen action that makes our area green, clean, prosperous for all, and OURS.
3) To challenge decisions that go against common good in the ward and Medway.
If this sounds reasonable, please vote for me and The Green Party on Thursday May 4th. Stuart has never been a politician and doesn't want to be either, but he believes in representation.
We need councillors who truly represent us and whom are representative of us.
Rochester East & Warren Wood
Marilyn is married with 2 grown up children and a 6-year-old grandson who is her inspiration. She is a retired teacher who specialised in and advised regarding support for children with additional needs. Marilyn cares passionately about social justice and developing a more equal society, during her teaching career she was an active member of the then NUT and is now active in her local community. During the pandemic Marilyn was the Peninsula Coordinator for Mutual Aid Road Reps CIC. With the support of the parish council isolated residents on the peninsula were able to receive shopping and prescription support. Marilyn is now a volunteer for wHoo Cares.
In 2019 Marilyn became the first elected Green in Medway by becoming a parish councillor. As a parish councillor she sits on several committees but especially enjoys chairing the Environment Group. This group works with the local school and has developed a short-, medium- and long-term plans, developed several recycling initiatives and writes regular articles in a local newsletter. Marilyn would love to make links with other villages and community groups in Medway in order to share ideas and expertise. Please contact Marilyn if you share this interest.
Marilyn was a member of the Neighbourhood Plan Group before being elected onto the parish council. These experiences have given her greater insight into the potential for real local democracy and into how broken our housing system has become. Marilyn would like to explore the successes of planning campaign groups in other areas, bring the many groups in Medway together and suggest challenging Medway Council to adopt a different approach to community involvement around planning decisions. She believes local planning authorities should use an E.D.D. - Engage, Discuss and Decide model rather than the current Decide, Announce and then Defend and model.
Marilyn believes Change is on the horizon and that voting green can help make it happen now!
Strood North & Frindsbury 
Andrew is currently Chief Impact Officer for Foodsteps, a London based tech company that provides environmental impact data for food. He founded foodmadegood.org and oneplanetplate.org during his tenure as CEO of the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA). The SRA is a London based not for profit organisation that helps hospitality businesses make better decisions for the planet and for wildlife.
Andrew has held board positions with the Zero Carbon Forum and WRAPs Courtauld Commitment, and is a Trustee of the London Wildlife Trust. The common thread between all these is the focus on addressing the climate and nature crisis through changing our food system. Andrew is excited to put down roots in Strood North & Frindsbury, and explore how we can all build a greener and more equitable future.
Andrew is a geography graduate and has an MSc in Business Strategy and the Environment. He has two small children, Elijah and Maeve who share his love of animals and time spent in nature. He wants them to grow up in a world where nature and biodiversity are protected and once again thrive.
Twydall
Kate became politically active in 2019 after a realisation that all was not right with the world, she wanted to both protect it and help to create a greener, fairer society for her children and future generations. She has worked with residents across Medway to fight-off predatory developers, and volunteers with a number of local community groups. She is Graphic Designer who has been self employed for 16 years having previously worked in events, project management and sign making.
She campaigned against the Eastcourt Green and Sturry Way Park developments and whilst these ultimately went ahead, she was successful in helping to stop the orchards on Pump Lane from being destroyed “whilst it’s cheaper to build on fresh soil, in the long run it will cost us dearly both by reducing our capacity to feed ourselves and by removing the green spaces, which make us feel that little bit more connected to the wider environment.”
Kate is fed up with the way that our politicians behave, how the system is rigged against us and how we are seen simply as customers and not citizens. “It is our society and each of us should have a say in how it is run. Every vote should have the same value”
She truly believes that ‘change is on the horizon’.
