Cathrine Simmons is 61 and has lived in the constituency for 39 years. She has been active in the local party for 24 years and has been an elected district councilor and a town councilor. At present, Simmons works for a local authority as a housing officer, aiming to increase affordable housing in the area. She has grown-up children. She has campaigned to prevent out-of- town shopping to keep the vitality of the town centres and helped to save the closure of the local arts centre. Community woodland, allotments, green jobs and Fairtrade are among the issues that are important to her.