I felt with me turning 24-years-old and beginning what folk call Chapter 25 today, that I would give a perspective on what has been a simply crazy year since hitting 23 last September.

And for 365 whole days, which has seen me stand for public office, open my eyes to our extraordinary cultural universe, get back out into society post two lockdowns (as per the cover image, of me meeting THE LEGENDS of Steps last weekend!) and face some rather big challenges at home, it has very much made me learn a lot and reflect what I’ve achieved.

Of course, I do first say a wider thank you – particularly to the teams at Birmingham 2022, the West Midlands Combined Authority, Changing Our Lives, Solutions for the Planet and Silverstone Circuit for allowing me to play a small part in their operations.

Whether through the joys of my job at the B2022 Organising Committee, which has demonstrated the sheer importance of the region’s cultural industry and the incredibly humbling role my team have in it (which I with all my heart thank my colleagues, for being as supportive as they have!), to being engaged with the region’s leaders and making sure my generation’s voices are shouted about and whether through my eagerness to see how young people flourish in the world of STEAM through S4TP’s Big Ideas competition and beginning my Volunteering adventures at the UK’s Home of Motorsport, has given me moments to look back on with immense pride.

On the Combined Authority, with 2 WMCA Board Speeches made, countless contributions to the Transport Scrutiny Sub-Committee given (which I hugely thank Cllr Cathy Bayton for allowing me to form a part of!), being in a Video to promote the IncludeMe West Midlands project, in a yet unreleased photoshoot for the Jobs and Skills Academy and many more things in between, I feel thrilled at the opportunities to prove my capabilities having come my way.

Of course, it would strange not to say a big thanks to my fellow Labour Party Members, for enabling me to fully dip my toes into the Political waters on May 6th. With the 2022 Candidates form landed in the inbox this week, I feel obligated to improve, develop and one day become that Councillor which people believe I can be and with how the party is, that journey will intensify.

And of course, my family deserve the largest thanks for their constant encouragement and despite 2 Lockdowns in the last year – enabling me to stay as resilient as possible. Knowing of the change which we will soon experience – thanks to how the last few months have panned out (which I will not state anything public now), I am confident that through it all, myself continuing to look after one another and yourselves wishing to back my every step, will collectively make us stronger!

This next year for me, I aim to make one that prepares for hitting 25 next year, but ensuring I am as healthy, financially stable and motivated and engaged as possible. Knowing how the pandemic has still made me fell rather lonely and that there are many days that tiredness and pain dominates my body, means I still have a long way to go in feeling good about myself. No doubt it doesn’t help with consistent pressure and concerns, however I am hugely pleased at the number of things in place to give support and I shall use them with fullness and openness.

I will use another piece, with my thoughts and fuller targets for now until September 15^th, 2022, but to have found new ground and passions to use in a bigger way – particularly through the simply exemplary team at Silverstone, fills me with the deepest possible pride and will give me many more moments to savour going forward.

With today being another busy work day, I shall even with slight anxiety about the now don several smiles, knowing I am in a city and a period, where an impact is being made and despite many odds: demonstrating that “nothing is impossible, when you put your mind to it!”

Here’s to a year, that really enables me to take off and for all who appreciate such a task, I say both ta very much and that simply: “I’ll try my utmost!”