I work as an External Affairs Manager for the Alzheimer’s Society covering the whole of the north of England. This job involves raising the profile of dementia as a devastating illness in the media and campaigning at national and regional level to improve the lives of people with dementia and their carers and encourage more investment in research, care and training.

Outside family, work and council commitments, one thing that I am particularly proud of is my involvement in the development of a 5 acre public park in Malton, the Castle Garden, which opened in summer 2008.

 
I am also chairman of Next Steps Mental Health Resource Centre in Norton and involved in Thrive a group that aims to promote the economic vitality of Malton and Norton. I am a member of the Pickering Flood Action Group as well as being a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ryedale Festival and deputy mayor of Norton.

This year I am honoured to be Chairman of Ryedale District Council, a role that I am thoroughly enjoying. Highlights so far have been attending a royal garden party and welcoming 200 civic guests, including Dr John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, when Ryedale hosted Yorkshire Day in Malton on August 1st.