Anusha Iyer

I’ve called Cherry Hinton home for 11 years, and I know the power of everyday community. In 2022, I organised a Front Door Festival that brought neighbours together for the first time in decades, sharing food, music, laughter and raising funds for the Cherry Hinton Hub. I’m standing because I believe every street can feel like that: connected, creative and caring. I dream of a Cherry Hinton where there's a Front Door Festival in every street and neighbourhood. Where neighbours know each other and share skills, tools, meals, their time and joy. Where we hear birdsong and the buzzing of bees instead of speeding motorbikes and the youth address their trauma through art and music instead of resorting to anti-social behaviour. Where the most vulnerable are looked after, making everyone else better off for it. My strengths lie in organising, facilitating, empathising, envisioning and building community. My background spans human‑centred design in tech and hands‑on work with organisations like Jimmy’s Cambridge, improving services for people experiencing homelessness. I understand how systems, behaviour and trauma intersect, and why kindness and community matter more than ever as we face rising costs, extreme weather and growing instability. We’re in the same boat, facing the same storms. But when we look after each other, we’re stronger. Together, let us build a safe, strong, fair and vibrant Cherry Hinton. Who's with me?