Hello, I’m Toby,
I’m your Green Party candidate for Reigate ward.
I’m a born and bred Surrey lad, having grown up on the world famous, well not quite, ‘Longmead’, a 1970’s council estate in Epsom.
I left school at 16 and worked as a runner in London’s West End, for the TV and video industry before becoming a video editor at 22.
I worked in south-east asia for a number of years, both in Indonesia and Malaysia.
This was a hugely valuable experience. Learning about myself, other cultures, religions, politics and of course the food, the amazing food.
There I built and sold my own documentary editing company, and led a team of vfx artists on an award winning 3d animation film.
I now work for Technicolor supporting productions such as Little Mermaid, House of Dragons and Napolean amongst many others.
I have been living in the borough since 2016, and in Reigate itself since 2020.
I believe I am the only 2024 candidate to actually live in Reigate ward itself.
Everyday I walk my rescue dog named Raya, (meaning celebration), along the footpaths and across the green spaces of Reigate.
Reigate is a lovely place to live. A beautiful town, with a long history. A stunning park, and most importantly a town full of warm and friendly residents.
But I also observe the litter, the dog faeces, the inconsiderate parking, the state of the roads and the pavements. I see harried parents juggling school runs with work. I see the congestion, the speeding traffic, the articulated lorries utterly unsuited to our narrow roads and the woeful cycle infrastructure.
I cannot promise to fix all or any of these directly. But I can be a voice for you, to the people who can and should improve things.
That’s why I’m standing to be your councillor.
I have a small confession to make. I used to be a member of a party with a more orange hue. But I wanted grass that was greener shall we say.
Our climate emergency cannot wait and the Green Party has the most progressive policies for making Reigate a greener and fairer place.
Canvassing on the doorsteps has been a joy. I’ve not had a single unpleasant experience. Those who have politely said their votes are for another colour, I thank them for their time and wish them a great afternoon.
Local government cannot change everything, but it could help a lot more people buy their own homes. For example, the council is sitting on 19 million allocated for affordable housing.
The council could also save itself some money by fully rolling out recycling to the 5’000 homes still waiting.
The council didn’t have to waste 1.1 million on a very risky startup called Pathway For Care, or continuously delay installing solar panels on public buildings like the Town Hall.
But as they say, ‘we are where we are’
Reigate is the place my family and I call home. I want the best for the residents of this town. I want to play my part in helping Reigatians make sustainable choices that also work for their family finances.
Please help me to work for Reigate and #voteGreen on May 2nd.
Thank you for reading,
Toby