Andy Culham (Con)
I am a local business owner running a plastering company in the town.
I am honoured to be chosen as your Conservative candidate in the forthcoming local elections in May.
I know only too well the commitment involved in becoming a Councillor having served on Faversham Town Council from 2011 – 2015, a time that was spent working with youth groups, setting up a surgery so residents could bring problems to my attention.
As your elected local County Councillor, I will campaign for improved services and report issues such as street lighting and better – maintained roads and pathways including antisocial behaviour.
I will be a hands-on Councillor who will act fast on a problem that’s reported, and work hard to get results.
Lisa Eades (Lab)
My family were born and bred in Faversham, and I’ve lived here for more than twenty years in the heart of Priory ward. My husband runs a successful small business in the town and our son attends a local primary school. We love this town and would never want to live elsewhere but – things need to change!
It’s been hugely disappointing that the Liberal Democrat council has delivered so little of what it promised, especially to our lovely part of town. Faversham Town Council desperately needs more balance so that it takes more sensible decisions and spends your money effectively. I want to represent Priory ward to ensure that, not only are the ward’s needs not ignored at this level, but that they’re prioritised, because we deserve more. Our open spaces are neglected, our roads in desperate need of repair and facilities for our young people non-existent. The needs of our elderly and disabled have been ignored during the last year, with access to town centre facilities removed. Local shopkeepers are crying out to be listened-to, but their needs are ignored. None of this is acceptable. I will challenge those who have done nothing - and campaign for better. I don’t go in for endless ‘selfies’ – I actually get the job done!
As a teacher I’ve worked in local schools for many years, and have developed and delivered community initiatives for vulnerable adults. I’ve campaigned on a range of local and national issues and have supported my local independent and Labour councillors in raising issues related to the ward. My son and I are regularly out and about on our litter-picking expeditions on the North Preston estate and beyond – we have real pride in our part of town and we want you to have that too.
I am a truly local voice, a breath of fresh air and a genuine advocate for your needs.
Michael Henderson (Lib Dem)
At 75, Mike is still working hard for Faversham as Vice-chair of Faversham Pools, a director of the Faversham Society and Chairs Oare Gunpowder Works steering group.
Mike has 22 years’ experience as Councillor for Priory ward, helping countless residents in that time. He retired from Swale Borough Council at the 2019 local elections, just before his wife of 40 years, Mary, died in 2020. Mike believes the current Liberal Democrat Town Council is doing exciting work with people in Faversham to improve the Town and the opportunities for its residents.
Mike is a dedicated public servant, with a keen interest in preserving and enhancing biodiversity and in improving opportunities for local people.
Faversham Eye’s Opinion
Andy Culham has smartened himself up for his latest campaigns. As one of the “old guard” of Conservatives that did much to harm the Town, when they were in power, we would prefer him to remain in his current obscurity.
For all the new comers to the town, we feel obliged to inform you of his previous election campaign back in 2019 where he was literally caught with his pants down (see On The Square in Issue 3 of the Eye). His dating profile on Cupid was exposed even though our good Conservative is a married man! He is possibly one of the few remaining active Conservatives left in the Town and has recently been described by an ex-Tory as ‘semi-literate’.
Michael Henderson is an experienced past councillor that at one stage held sway on many of the influential Swale committees, he has alternated from Liberal to Independent and back to Lib Dem.
In in late 1990s he was an energetic and committed advocate of a massive development on the eastern end of Faversham which was being promoted by a dubious and now defunct property developer, Cormorant. During the long fight to prevent this near universally unpopular being realised Michael appeared to run roughshod over the feelings of the Town.
Lisa Eades is probably the best of the candidates who appears to genuinely care about the Town in general and the Priory ward in particular.
Given the limited choice, she gets our vote.