I have been closely involved with the community for well over a generation and have reported on and encouraged them in their hopes, triumphs, disasters, tragedies, achievements, efforts and successes.
I have helped promote the Golden Corridor containing Banbury and Bicester as the M40 was built, reported on the expansion of business, the boom in development and the arrival of Banburyshire as an area of strategic importance at the Heart of England.
Over the years I have been one of a team given fantastic support by the community while fundraising for hospital buildings and equipment, the establishment of our wonderful hospice, drugs awareness campaigns, education facilities and even to help build orphanages in Romania.
I have helped raise thousands of pounds for local charities by organising Strictly Banbury ballroom dancing competitions based on the BBC hit show.
About Roseanne Edwards
Roseanne Edwards for Banbury Constituency (#GE2015)
I have been a senior reporter at the Banbury Guardian newspaper since 1990. Before that I worked on the Banbury Citizen and Banbury Focus. Until the Oxfordshire County Council cuts forced my redundancy I was press officer for The Mill Arts and Community Education Centre, Banbury and I also run a public relations company.
I have devoted much time over the past 20 years to campaigning through the Banbury Guardian for the protection of threatened services at the Horton General Hospital.
In the latest, potentially fatal, threat I gave the Independent Reconfiguration Panel a detailed presentation and submitted to them a persuasive dossier of hundreds of stories of patients' experiences, doctors' opinions and readers' letters which contributed to the Health Secretary's recommendation that a solution must be found to save our acute services.
Like all Banburyshire people I know from experience how important public services are to a healthy, civilised society.
I have four children, all of whom went to Banburyshire primary and secondary schools. I moved to Banbury as a single mother and worked as a nanny and waitress until I was allocated a council house on Bretch Hill, Banbury.
For a few months I lived with the support of the welfare state until with the help of wonderful neighbours I was able to work to send my son to nursery school.
My start in newspapers a year later allowed me to fund our life fully and by this tme my son had been given a marvellous start at St Mary's Primary School, Banbury. He was the first child in my family to go to university, now runs a thriving e-learning and specialist recording business and has presented me with a beautiful grandson, born at the Horton General Hospital.
My three younger children have all been to local schools. Two have graduated from universities in medical microbiology and virology, and acting for film, theatre and television. The fourth is a trained chef, wood-worker and free-diving expert.
Collecting our 2014 Best Large Local Newspaper Award
I am a keen horse rider, backing, training and showing Arabian horses. I am a ridden-showing tutor for Crown Riding Club helping riders learn how to achieve success in the show ring. I also enjoy skiing as well as ballroom dancing, reading, cooking, music (guitar) and my garden.
My personal story is meant to show that it is possible for people in straightened circumstances to create success and independence for themselves and their families - if they are given support when they need it.
* A keen horse trainer
Believing implicitly in the need for a strong, fair and supportive government, inclusive of all sections of society, I stood for parliament in 2010 as an Independent under the banner The People's Voice.
I am delighted to stand in 2015 for the National Health Action Party whose members and candidates are an
extremely dedicated and genuine group of people, the majority doctors, nurses and health workers, who share huge integrity and an altruistic desire to see a healthy population, healthy government and a healthy country.