Southend Community Committee Elections

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The Community Committee elections take place on Monday 24th November at the next community meeting. Venue Leigh Sailing Club. Doors open at 18:00, meeting. commences 18:30. Voting closes at 19:00.
If you cannot attend and you are a member wanting to vote, you can contact Daniella to arrange to vote on Sunday between 13:00 and 15:00 in Leigh. Email info@waterwatchuk.org to arrange a time.

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Only members are eligible to vote. You can sign up here.

The below candidates have put themselves forward to join the first Waterwatch UK Community Committee. Each brings different experience, skills and motivations, but they all share the same goal: improving our local waters and strengthening community involvement.

You can read a short bio for each person below to understand their background, interests and what they hope to contribute. This helps you make an informed choice when voting.

There are 7 community member seats available in this election. The newly elected committee will nominate a rotating chair and a vice chair.
The 2 local business seats will be selected separately by the newly elected committee.

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Candidate Bios

Andrew Hall

A founding member of the Thorpe Bay Residents Association who believes passionately in giving residents a voice. He focuses on issues such as persistent flooding and wants to hold all relevant parties to account. He aims to help drive the changes needed to deliver better solutions for the community.

Anna Firth

Passionate about conservation and committed to making Southend and Leigh the best possible place to live, work and visit. She co-founded the Southend Water Quality Summits with Daniella and is proud to see them continue under Waterwatch UK. She hopes to use her experience in government and partnership working to help make local waters cleaner for residents, visitors, animals and wildlife.

Benjamin Swain

(No bio submitted.)

Jean de Tourtoulon

An active part of the local community for many years through swimming in the Thames Estuary, supporting residents at council meetings, promoting local groups, and volunteering with Leigh Lions, Sea Scouts and others. With a long career in social work and experience from the Water Summits, Jean is now helping develop a new Leigh Tidy education project with Leigh Town Council.

Kim Hall

Chair of the Thorpe Bay Residents Association, which has contributed to the Water Summits since the second meeting. Her focus includes Thorpe Bay Beach and flooding on Thorpe Hall Avenue. She offers strong communication skills, a solutions-focused approach, and experience in corporate governance and sustainability.

Maddison Andrews

(No bio submitted.)

Marcelle Baum

A long-term sea swimmer who cares deeply about protecting local waters. She brings experience as Chair of Westleigh Parents, Vice-Chair of West Leigh Governors, years of charity fundraising, and a strong focus on public education. She aims to work with SAVS and others to strengthen community outreach.

Naomi Cox

She has a close connection to the water through cold-water swimming with the Bluetits, paddleboarding, and active membership at Leigh Sailing Club. She wants to contribute energy and ideas, bring a fresh perspective, and help involve more young people in protecting the coastline and supporting positive change for the community.

Penelope Allard

A keen swimmer, sailor and local business owner with a strong interest in sustainability. Her business was a finalist for the Accounting Excellence ESG Award, and she regularly speaks on sustainability. She wants to support Waterwatch UK’s work, deepen understanding of local issues, and help the public learn how to play their part in protecting the environment.

Peter Lovett

Born and raised in Southend with a lifelong love of the local waters. He has supported communities throughout his life and is a qualified Mechanical Services Engineer. He believes his technical background will help him understand issues and work with organisations to resolve problems collaboratively.

William Nicholson

He developed an interest in sustainable living and water use through an Open University course on the environment, which led him to follow issues around water pollution and how water is managed locally and nationally. He is particularly interested in how good design and infrastructure can improve communities, including flood management and green spaces. He aims to live in a way that reduces his carbon footprint and would like to contribute his time and experience through voluntary work.

William Taylor

He brings experience from working within corporate environments and is comfortable asking difficult questions. He has been liaising with Southend Council on water issues for nearly two years, understands the challenges of getting clear information, and has already been active in the water quality space.