I want to leave a world worth living in to my two grand-daughtersAnne Thomas
Anne Thomas has lived near North Kessock since 2006. She has been very active for the Scottish Greens for many years will stand for the Black Isle for the first time in the Council elections on 5th May. "I want to leave a world worth living in to my two grand-daughters" she says.
A volunteer Director of Transition Black Isle, vice chair of North Kessock Residents Association, and secretary of Highland Cycle Campaign she has been busy helping deliver projects to cut the environmental impact of food, travel and energy. She helped set up and run the successful North Kessock Community Market and chairs the Avoch, Munlochy Drumderfit Active Travel Link working group. "Active travel helps in so many ways, less pollution, better fitness and less congestion for those who do need to drive"
She organised the local volunteer response to Covid 19 including setting up and organising the North Kessock food larder which cuts food waste as well as helping those struggling to make ends meet.
She is a Speech and Language Therapist for children with additional support needs (ASN) and knows how many people struggle with the lack of support for children with ASN. She thinks the extra teachers and support staff won by the Greens' Co-operation Agreement with the SNP will help do this.
"I'm excited we've managed to make bus travel free for under 22s starting on 31st January. This will make a massive difference to so many people".
"Through thousands of conversations I feel I understand Highland concerns. The Climate and Ecological Emergency and the Pension motions that we and other campaigners helped Highland Council and its Pension Scheme accept have both been effective drivers for change. The Council has reduced its carbon footprint by a total of about 42% in the three years since the climate emergency declaration was passed, compared with an average 3% in previous years". More Elected Greens means more carbon and cost savings.
Anne has been working behind the scenes with campaign groups and Councillors, particularly Green Councillor Pippa Hadley, highlighting issues such as the folly of spending £190m on a polluting, incinerator on the Longman, with fumes blowing directly onto the Black Isle, rather than removing the problem by increasing recycling and building a 'circular economy'.
She's also long been campaigning for preventative health care such as improving vitamin D levels.
She and her husband live in a carbon neutral house and she has been helping others to benefit from low bills and reduced impact on the planet, so is particularly pleased about the £1.9 bn in the Agreement for energy efficiency.
She now wants to be one of the elected Greens making these changes happen.