District Councillor for Elmswell and Woolpit since May 2023
I was brought up in Mid Suffolk, attended Stowmarket High School, and have lived in the county for most of my adult life, returning to Mid Suffolk from Ipswich 15 years ago. I currently live in Needham Market and have strong family and friendship links in Woolpit, where my parents lived for many decades, as did I as a young adult.
I have a daughter in her 30’s who lives in Europe with her family. I live with my husband and my cat. My interests include creative writing, mainly poetry and short fiction (including running a poetry workshop for ‘Poetry Aloud’ in Bury St Edmunds). I like to keep fit through regular walking and gardening.
I gained an MA in Applied Social Studies and a Certificate of Qualification in Social Work (both in 1983), worked for Barnardos for 18 years (mainly in Adoption and Fostering Services in Colchester), and transferred to Suffolk County Council 2001-2017 where I specialised in recruiting, assessing, training and supervising foster carers. On retiring, I volunteered for a few years assessing families through the charity Refugees at Home.
I was a Labour activist while in Ipswich, including as Chair of the Women’s Council, but transferred to the Green Party in 1997 when Tony Blair/his party’s policies no longer aligned with my values and I’ve remained a loyal member ever since. I’m a life member of CND, a long-standing vegetarian, and charities I support include Refuge, Suffolk Refugee Support, Care for Calais, and the European Movement UK. Disability rights are one of my priorities and I’ve been an active campaigner for more accessible sustainable transport across Mid Suffolk, in particular as co-ordinator of the Needham Market Railway Station ‘Access for All’ campaign.
I do not have any other employment so have space in my life for the hard work and challenges that come with being a district councillor. I was asked to stand at fairly short notice when a candidate for my Ward decided they could not offer the necessary time commitment, and it felt like the right time politically – both in England and in Mid Suffolk – to ‘put my head above the parapet.’
It’s a huge honour to be one of the councillors in the first Green Administration in the Northern Hemisphere, and to be part of a diverse, committed group of hard-working Green councillors who share similar values. As an environmental socialist, I support initiatives which look to create a more sustainable, equitable and environmentally friendly world – locally, nationally, and beyond. I’m on the Licensing Committee and am a substitute for Planning, and I aim to promote the needs of my Ward to the best of my abilities. I believe passionately in elected local political representatives listening to and working jointly with residents to promote safer, fairer and more accessible communities.
Areas Sarah represents
Mid Suffolk District Council
Represents Elmswell and Woolpit as your Green Party district councillor (jointly with Sarah Mansel).