I am standing for election as a Liberal Democrat councillor because I want to stand up for the community of Ashford Rural South: to make it a better place to live, work and educate our children.  Having taught in Kent schools for over 25 years, education is a particular interest: I currently volunteer as a governor at an Ashford primary school. We must also protect our precious green space which is being eroded year by year. I would like to be part of making local government better at listening to the concerns of local people.