Your new WEP Candidate
on 4th May 2023
Susan Mead is a local community leader who works tirelessly for families in our town. She has built a successful childcare business, Friendly Faces Day Nursery, building a team, managing tight budgets in a challenging environment and having overall responsibility for compliance and safeguarding.
As a result, Susan has a deep understanding of the needs of local families and those on low incomes. As well as working with the young, Susan has experience in social care working with the elderly and is well aware of the pressures and needs in that sector. Susan is standing as a Town Councillor for the first time in May 2023 because she is always looking for new ways to serve her local community.
Here is Susan’s message to you, and below it you can find out about some of the ways Susan has supported the Community.
SUSAN’S LETTER TO THE RESIDENTS OF CONGLETON
I am writing to you all to tell you a little bit about myself as I am standing for Congleton Northeast as a WEP councillor.
My name is Susan Mead and I am a Congleton business owner. I run a childminding setting and day Nursery called Friendly Faces Nursery Ltd.
I am a mum of two boys and have lived on Bromley Farm for 16 years.
My nursery is the first nursery in town to hold a Green Flag status, Plastic Free Status, and many awards from Congleton In Bloom – I am a keen gardener.
I regularly support families and I run a clothes and toy bank for local families.
I am a national childcare campaigner, having spoken about it on Radios 4 and 5 Live. I represent Cheshire on Early Years Equality nationally, campaigning for improved funding for childcare.
Over the last 11 years I have been doing lots of volunteering in my area and really enjoy community work.
I have run the Stay and Play group at The Hub on Parnell Square for eight years.
When COVID happened the groups at The Hub had to stop and when things returned to normal I worked hard to help rebuild this centre’s groups, in partnership with Plus Dane Housing.
I have written a constitution, set up a bank account and then worked with some local councillors, specialist advisors and residents to collect resident views and aspirations and then put these into practice.
The Bromley Farm Hub is now thriving. We have a number of well- functioning groups: The Bromley Bloomers who are a community gardening group who are building a community allotment to tackle the cost if living crisis, The Bromley Forum working with Plus Dane to tackle local community problems such as lighting, mould, building problems, the Bromley Hub Friends – a social group, The stay and Play group, college training and a Peer support group.
I won an award for my voluntary work during COVID. I genuinely love helping others and want the best for my community.
Thanks for taking the time to read about me and if you want any more information please get in contact . Please vote for equality when you vote. Thank you.
SUSAN’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY INCLUDES:
SUPPORTING PARENTS
Susan runs a peer support group for parents on Bromley Farm. She has also set up a Special Educational Needs Hub, Bromley Hub ‘Stay and Play’ Group and supported many new mothers as a breastfeeding counsellor. Susan is a national campaigner for better childcare provision. She was an invited speaker at the March of the Mummies in Manchester and has appeared on Radio 4 and Radio 5 Live to discuss childcare challenges. Susan represents Congleton and Cheshire on Early Years Equality which campaigns for total reform of the childcare sector, recognising childcare as key infrastructure to support the economy.
Supporting the Community
Susan won the Cheshire East Coronavirus Local Heroes Award for supporting vulnerable people in the community during lockdown. More recently Susan has set up the Bromley Farm Hub, a constituted group which is developing a wide variety of activities and support for local residents including training programmes, social events, support for social housing tenants, mental health groups, and much more.
Improving the Environment
Susan leads the Bromley Bloomers, a team of residents who plant food and flowers in Bromley Farm. This creates a sense of community and wellbeing, as well as enabling people to grow free food to eat. Susan is a campaigner for sustainability and her nursery has won numerous environmental awards including an Eco Green Flag and Plastic Free Status.
WEP Congleton 