Bridget Z D Smith

BIOGRAPHY:

Bridget Smith was born in Durham, and has lived in West Africa and in Belfast during ‘The Troubles’.
She left Ireland to take A levels in Bristol, then read psychology at Durham University.
After graduating, she trained for the new profession of Hearing Therapist, and entered the NHS as a practitioner at Manchester Royal Infirmary.
After 2 years, she moved to the School of Clinical Medicine at the University of Cambridge to undertake a 3-year research project in communication techniques for adults with acquired deafness.
At the culmination of this project, she studied for a Postgraduate Certificate in Primary Education at Cambridge University. Once qualified, Bridget taught for 3 years at her local Middle School, specialising in IT and music. She then became Head of Upper School at a large Cambridgeshire Primary School.
Bridget took time out from work to look after her 3 sons born between 1990 and 1998.
During this time she wrote and had published 2 books and worked part-time as a music teacher and sports coach whilst tutoring excluded young people.
She also established and ran the very successful community development charity, Forward Gamlingay which has delivered for youth work, capital build projects, arts events and more recently a 2 year programme of economic development and business support.
Bridget became interested in local politics and in campaigning for improvements to local community support provision.
In 2004 Bridget was employed to project manage and to raise the required £2.3 million for a new community centre in Gamlingay.
At the same time, she succeeded in becoming the local District Councillor.
The success of the resultant award-winning Gamlingay Eco Hub project encouraged Bridget to work as a consultant in community development and fundraising.
After serving in a wide range of roles as a District Councillor, Bridget became Liberal Democrat group leader in 2014.
She is a very high profile member of the controversial Greater Cambridge City Deal Assembly and manages a successful blog which takes a critical view of the Deal and the 3 partner Councils.
She is passionate about mitigating for climate change and protecting the Green Belt against wanton development and in supporting communities to become self sufficient.
She continues to be gravely concerned by Brexit and its potential to deny the sorts of freedoms and equalities to the next generation which she has benefitted from as a European citizen.