It’s been just over a year since I was elected leader here at Merton.

And from day one we have been working hard for you providing real solutions to the cost of living crisis and laying the foundations for building a better Merton, together.

So – here’s what we’ve been up to. Our cost of living campaign has supported thousands across the borough. We’ve funded targeted cash grants for those in need and continued to provide Free School Meals during the holidays.

We’ve secured free and independent advice from experts such as Citizens Advice to help those struggling with debt, finances and benefits. We’ve supported thousands of the lowest income households by reducing their Council Tax to zero, and we’ve given almost every household a 1% Council Tax discount this year. And we’ve become an accredited London Living Wage Council, because we believe in a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.

To help nurture civic pride in Merton we’ve invested in maintaining our much loved parks and upgrading playgrounds for our children to enjoy. We’ve distributed £2 million to local community groups doing important work across Merton. Committed to bringing street cleaning back in house to keep our streets clean and tidy. Helped 10,000 people celebrate the Kings Coronation with hundreds of events across the borough.

And we’ve bought back Mitcham Carnival! Building a sustainable future is something we can all help with. We’ve brought e-bikes to Merton and we’ve installed 500 new electric vehicle charging points, getting us well on our way to become London’s most EV-friendly borough. And we have planted 10,000 new trees in just one year – helping clean up our air and improve our streets and parks at the same time.

And our work to become London’s Borough of Sport is well under way.

We’ve announced free swimming at our leisure centres for Under 16s, got thousands of people moving with Beat the Street, and invested in our borough’s sporting facilities, including embarking on one of the largest refurbishment of tennis courts in the country – and keeping free play where it already exists!

We’ve done all of this and much more, but this is just the start.

It’s been a pleasure to serve you all this past year, and I’m raring to get stuck in for year two.