By-election Manifesto - Jeanette Ware
I have lived on the Islands for 12 years. I was lucky enough to move into a readymade established family on the islands and found the transition really easy. I have connections to the islands that go back for generations through marriage and came here for the first time in 1978 to work on Tresco at the Island Hotel. It was while island hopping on my days off that I first met the then 12 year old boy who was to later become my husband and the reason I moved to Scilly.
I was born and brought up in Cornwall and went to a Convent boarding school from the age of 12. My parents lived in Ibiza and my sister and I spent many wonderful holidays as teenagers on the beaches of the island and then returning to Teignmouth for the school term times.
My background before coming to Scilly was working in mental health. This is a passion of mine and has been since I was 19 years old. I did my first shift at a drop in centre in Reading Berkshire and worked alongside a dedicated team of people that provided respite care for families who had children and young adults with learning disabilities. I worked there for a few years until I moved back down to Cornwall. I then became an advocate for adults with learning disabilities and did this for many years until I came to Scilly to live. Of all the things I miss the most about the mainland it is this.
I met and married my first husband when I was 19 and we were together for 25 years. I have 2 children of my own and three equally as loved step children. I am also a grandmother to 3 beautiful granddaughters. I believe that one day my children and my grandchildren will live here on the island and for that reason and for all the other children and grandchildren I want to secure a future here on Scilly for them that maintains the environment and the facilities that we have and need to retain to make sure that Scilly and its people survive and thrive.
If elected I will do my best for the residents of all 5 islands. I am a dedicated passionate person who only wants the best for the community and its future generations.
Education; Having had four children educated on the islands I am still concerned at the level of special needs amenities there are. My own daughter needed additional help and although the help given was excellent generally there was a lot more that could and should have been done. I see people fighting for support on a daily basis and I would like to make sure that more services are secured for children with special needs.
Housing; Again I and my family were in desperate need of housing. I think the local youngsters do not stand a chance of affording their own homes and I do not want to see the traditions and the old families die out as this happens. I much appreciate the new families that come to Scilly as we need more people to make island life work but we need to look after the local youngsters too. I would like to secure more affordable housing for this purpose.
Waste management; My passion; I was involved in the first waste contract with the ISSSG. I have been interested in recycling and the control of waste from our islands for a long time. We have an obligation to protect not only these beautiful islands but the world and our children’s, grand children’s futures. I have three grandchildren and I am sure two of them will live here in the near future. I want them to live in a clean, safe happy environment. I am dedicated to making this happen for them and for the community.
Tourism is our livelihood; We need to encourage and entice existing and new visitors to continue to come and support our environment and our existence. Without tourism we could not survive. We need to put more back into the tourism industry to keep us attractive and competitive to visitors from all over the world and all walks of life. We need to do more for our disabled visitors and assist them in their choice to visit us. We need to invest in better facilities for all tourists and ensure that disabled visitors can access simple facilities easily and comfortably.
Fisheries; My son is a fisherman; my husband was a fisherman for 20 years. We need to protect and grow this industry.
Promotion of economic development and emergency planning; St Mary’s Airport, which is central to the local economy, must be run to accommodate the residence and visitors. We are the most expensive 28 miles of air time. This is due to ISSSG and the Council. Merely putting up landing fees is not the way forward. All this does is hit the residents in the pocket. Maintain and improve this for the future of Scilly and our future generations. Our unusual status also means that some administrative law that applies in the rest of England applies in modified form in the islands. We must keep this status. It is what sets us apart from the rest of the country and our uniqueness is what makes us so special.
Written and produced by; Jeanette Ware