Parnell on behalf of Sean Dillow both of Basingstoke Conservative Assoc, both at Faulkners Down Office, Andover, Hants, SP11 6LZ
I am proud of and where I live in the Kempshott & Buckskin ward area. I am a former borough Councillor where I rerepresented the residents of Winklebury & Manydown, fighting and campaigning for a Better Deal for all the residents and local independent businesses. I successfully petitioned for Safer Roads in Winklebury, calling for 20MPH outside our schools, and for Roman Road to be reduced to 30MPH. I'm adamant that my initiative to drive local trade to our local independent shops and businesses continues across the borough, as we need to support these centres of our community. I have a hands on approach and have helped many residents with issues including housing, and have reported numerous potholes, flytipping, and areas of concern to get the areas where we live improved. As a small business owner I was hit hard with assignments drying up overnight when the first COVID-19 lockdown was announced... I saw my successful Basingstoke photographic business, working with the local media and local companies grind to an abrupt halt. Initially I was able to cover the lockdown for the local newspapers, covering stories about the local independent shops, theatres, pubs and restaurants closing, hearing the anxiety first hand from local like minded entrepreneurs. To be frank I was worried too, worried that I wouldn't be able to pay my mortgage, worried that I wouldn't be able to contribute to putting food on the table. My company setup meant I couldn't claim a significant amount of furlough, but I was glad that the Government had launched at pace a furlough scheme that would ensure that the vast majority of people would be able to keep their jobs. It was a ground breaking never done before scheme and Rishi Sunak is to be applauded in my opinion for his forward thinking. Yes there were people who "slipped through the net", I was one of them, but hundreds of thousands of people will be able to look back and say that this Conservative Government stepped up and ensured that families and businesses were able to come out of the pandemic running with their jobs and careers intact. I'm not the sort of person who sits at home and moans, I'm a glass half full type of bloke, so when I saw that the pandemic wasn't going to blow over anytime soon I realised I had to do something positive, both for my own mental state of mind, but also to ensure that my family were safe and secure. I applied for jobs that I felt would both provide a necessary service throughout the pandemic and also provide vital income for my family. So whilst trying to keep my photographic business going I worked 40 hours a week delivering food with Ocado. It's a great company and I got a real lift when I chatted to customers who were shielding or who were vulnerable. The local Basingstoke Council provided COVID-19 grants for local businesses with commercial premises and also for small businesses like mine that don't have rateable business premises through the Additional Restrictions Grant. This was a game changer for my company and meant that I was able to keep my photographic business going. I will be eternally grateful for the way the Council rolled out these grants, wasting no time to attribute grants to valid local businesses. So that's me, a person who has lived, worked and breathed Basingstoke for the last 35 years, I've witnessed all the town's ups and downs, sometimes first hand, but I love the town, it is a place of opportunity, a place where families can put down roots, a place to be proud of.
