All my life, I am now 72 years old, I have voted Liberal, SDP, Liberal Democrat and not once has my candidate of choice been elected. I am a person of conviction so in spite of this track record I always voted for what I considered the best choice. I am sure many other people will have had this experience. I am deeply committed to Electoral Reform so elected parliaments/committees etc can be far more representative and people have a sense their voice can be heard. Our present system is far from this position and seems to be getting worse. I am particularly drawn to Unlock Democracy because of Tom’s excellent leadership. I was especially impressed with a recent speech he made at a Make Votes Matter rally in Parliament Square which I attended.

I have transferable skills and experience that would enable me to make a positive contribution to this Council.

I am a person who takes initiative and have been in several relatively small-scale leadership roles, running a Yoga Teaching business, Yoga for All, for 20 years in York, running a Woodcraft Folk group for 50 children which also involved co-ordinating a team of parents as helpers, organising a Quaker Sunday school for 10 years for about 90 children! I also have committee experience being an Elder in the Quaker Meeting, Treasurer for a British Wheel of Yoga local group and more recently a Professional Stakeholder for a Cambridge University Research Project about Mindfulness involving about three meetings a year for four years.

On the business side I was a share holder for the originally family business Christian Salvesen/Aggreko for about 40 years attending shareholders meetings and taking a degree of interest. I certainly learnt the importance of having a flexible approach that moved with changing times. In 2021 the company was taken over by a private hedge fund in spite of have a very large contract for the Japanese Olympics. Since 2020 I have equipped two flats and at present I am sorting out a tenant for one of them; a process I rather enjoy.

I am very keen on harmonious relationships in groups the key to which is really listening to each other and being able to resolve differences, that inevitably arise, constructively. My Quakerism and training in Non-violent Communication really helps with this.

General background: BSc Biological Sciences, PGCE, Diploma in Health Education. Teacher all my life, 5 years comprehensive and independent schools, Yoga Teaching 20 years, English as a Foreign Language Teaching 10 years. At present developing workshops for therapists on the use of breathing exercises, meditation, relaxation techniques and mindfulness. I am free to attend the meetings which I much prefer to do in person.

I would very much like to serve on this council as I feel very strongly about the importance of what they want to achieve and feel I have the skills and experience that would enable me to make a good and worthwhile contribution. Jane Reed janereed21@gmail.com, based in York