Why am I fundraising?

Notice how most candidates are usually older, own their own homes and have flexible time schedules to be able to campaign and attend community events and meetings?

Corflute signs cost about $600 for a pack of different sizes but you've got to ensure letter sizing abides by local bylaws

My wealth is in experiences, education, family and only recently I finally became a homeowner - with a mortgage, of course. When I was on the Taranaki Regional Council, I was the only councilor renting. But also, the only one who was proficient with ZOOM, so it was my time to shine during COVID lockdowns when I had to help with setting up online council meetings.

It is only a recent thing that the "youthquake" has made some impact and inspired young people to stand for leadership roles in their community. Trailblazers like Greens co-leader Chloe Swarbrick, who took the lead way back in 2017 by standing for Mayor of Auckland and subsequently being selected as a Green list MP, have helped to inspire a diverse variety of young people to stand for local government - they're not all Greenies btw. I was 28 when I was elected on to the Taranaki Regional Council. I am now 34. One more year and I will no longer qualify as a PSA Union Youth member - but if elected on to SWDC, I'll still be part of the Young Elected Members Network which goes up to 40!

The reason why age matters is because representation matters. The decisions we make today will affect generations to come but also the diverse communities of today. But when you're in your 20s and 30s, there are a lot of financial stressors in life, especially if you have children - I now have two. We need young people, including young parents at these decision-making tables to help provide a range of perspectives and considerations when representing the community. As a representative on council, I know I'll never be able to make everyone happy - but being able to represent those who share a similar vision for the South Waikato as myself increases the chances of that kind of future being possible. Money should not be a barrier to representation.

Campaigning is time consuming and has considerable costs. Planning, coordinating, attending public events and meetings - you need time to implement a decent campaign which allows people to find out more about who you are and what your values are. Otherwise, you've just got the 150 word blurb about you in the candidate pamphlet which is extremely limiting.

So that's why I put effort into my campaigning and why I am limited by financial constraints: I am passionate, creative and motivated but also a working mum of two toddlers surviving on one income - I do have an extremely supportive stay at home husband, so shout out to hubby as he has provided stability and great care for our babies! Thankfully, I do have connections around the community through my family, friends and volunteer efforts - but there are still a lot of people who have no idea who I am and possibly share the same values and vision, so any help to reach those people is appreciated!

I totally understand that times are hard, but if you are in a position to donate to my campaign, feel free to DONATE HERE