In my time of giving voluntary service of the years, I have no doubt what being at Silverstone for the 2025 Formula 1 Qatar Airways British Grand Prix will be extraordinarily hard to beat. Ticking off my 6th British GP aged 27, having been a ticket steward in 2018 and 2019 whilst a Uni student and as a Volunteer Race Maker for GP weekend since 2022 felt an even bigger privilege this year, knowing it celebrated one man and electrified one small part of the birthplace of the sport. Stowe Corner has been my base for the BGP in 2023 and 2024 and am pleased to say it remained the case for 2025. Being Autistic means I much approve familiarity and Silverstone understood that message in the best possible way, which instantly made me satisfied before arrival. After arriving on a warm Wednesday evening and ensuring my tent’s top had an undercover post last year’s Saturday morning 3:30am thunderstorm for the ages, Thursday saw what has also become a familiar part of the GP weekend routine in supporting the Pit Walks. In my case this year, I was on the edge of the track between the 100M and 150M boards, shouting at folks to get across nicely and to stay off the grass. Safe to say my F1 puns including “You’ll get a 10 second penalty” got a mixed response… The track was semi-live when it shouldn’t, meaning delays between the groups heading across but the perks of seeing some stars around, including impressive rookie Isack Hadjar and fellow Frenchman Pierre Gasly on there bikes doing plenty of miles. Once I got into the pits to walk through with Group 3 of the 4, I also Sir Lewis Hamilton from about 15 yards away, prior to him heading on to his named straight for Sky Sports F1’s The F1 Show. That alone made me extremely chuffed to be that close to the all-time legend he is. For Race Weekend, my specific position was towards the end of Stowe (or Landostand) B, forming part of one of motorsport’s most awesome highspeed and daring corners – a place which nailing it makes you a hero and place you get it wrong, can make you find out to a big cost as Michael Schumacher did with his broken leg in 1999. All three days on the stand brought the usual questions and signposting of where things were by fans, as well as Sunday’s several spectacular storms including one during the race, many photo taking requests and more, all decked out in the most beautiful sea of Neon Green and Black which forms part of Lando’s and Quadrant’s striking brand. This was via flags at the top of each stand, tarpaulin at the bottom of each of them and at the back which made for a stunning visual approach when walking, as well as on all of the catering outlets behind the corner and many thousands of gorgeous, if not slightly pricey t-shirts being worn by the mass ranks. What made the weekend however was the wonderful sincerity, decency and utter kindness of the fans who we had the pleasure of sharing the experience with. Lando’s fanbase have kind-heartedness woven into their passion of Formula 1 and this was evident from the moment the first supporters came on Friday, of which as a volunteer who was there to do a role as required by the circuit certainly helped to make it be done much easier a result. Next to the track fence was a DJ who at first on the Friday was not playing the correct tracks at all for very much a female majority and family heavy range of spectators, but that was put right and enabled us to show our enjoyment, particularly in the build-up to Qualifying and the Race. Dance moves and inspiring the audience were plenty, not least by one of our Zone Leaders in Gary Thrope, who is now TikTok, and social media adored a thousand times over and helped to contribute to the most impressive and terrific atmosphere I’ve perhaps ever experienced at a major sports event. This was backed up by his Mr Norris claiming a well driven victory come the main event, of which made the majority of eyes around me (including my own) somewhat damp for the last lap, in-lap and for the podium. Seeing what Lando means to so many right-throughout the weekend so potentially symbolises the exceptional power which individuals in sport can have on others and seeing this on full display made his win even more special to comprehend. One other highlight to feel gleeful about, was being able to post the Saturday shift to meet many from the F1 community on Meta’s Threads. Brought together by two brilliant humans in Helz and Casper, saying hello to folks from across the globe, who’d you got to know a little about via social media was a true joy and has for many given them a safe space to Threads, which has by far the best set of Formula 1 fans online. My heart felt full and almost bursting to see such an awesome set of folks and I already look forward to 2026’s meet! Huge credit goes to all my fellow Race Makers for the immense job that was done at another record breaking, history making gathering which saw over 500,000 attend between Thursday and Sunday. It’s no wonder the race gets 95%+ satisfaction rating year on year thanks to all of hard work and graft, during what can sometimes be a tiring few days and all-around Stowe were simply top class. It helps to make Silverstone and this international institution of an event one unbelievable annual occasion and being one of many giving a helping hand every year, is a very proud personal achievement. Cheers to the Landostand and its wonderful fans, hopefully forever, as well as him winning the 2025 Drivers World Championship! P.S: Find more about opportunities of volunteering at Silverstone by seeing https://www.silverstone.co.uk/about/volunteering

23:00,Tuesday July 29th 2025, Wolverhampton It’s with huge pleasure and personal delight that I announce my Re-Selection as The Labour Party’s Candidate for the 2026 Local Elections in Penn ward, Wolverhampton. As I came to discover in my campaigns for 2023 and 2024, Penn is a quite superb place, peppered with tremendous pubs including The Hollybush, brilliant independent local businesses including A Cup of Joy, home of exceptional voluntary sector organisations including Friends of Di’s Kitchen and outstanding recreational spaces such as Penn Bowling Club. All of these places and Penn’s incredible residents, who I am truly honoured to have received 3,206 votes from in the last two elections, deserve a Councillor who can get the best for them, working hand in hand with a Labour ran City of Wolverhampton Council, a Labour MP in Wolverhampton West’s Warinder Juss, a Labour West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner in Simon Foster, a Labour and Co-operative Party Mayor in Richard Parker and a UK Labour Government and ultimately someone able to tackle the issues affecting residents the most. From the need to Keep Penn Green and Clean, tackling the state of the roads (not least potholes and speeding), making its housing more energy efficient, getting better public health services and working local businesses to keep the economy thriving, I will be an open and visible candidate and if elected on May 7th 2026, be an open, visible, honest and transparent Councillor who works hard every day in championing the interests of all who live, work and study in a part of the city rooted by its phenomenal communities. I hugely look forward to getting back on the campaign trail in the coming nine months, in sharing such a message, meeting residents and getting more engrossed and engaged throughout activity in Penn. Together, Let’s Deliver For PENN and For YOU! The campaign can be followed via Kashmire Hawker for Penn on Facebook and @hawkerforpenn on Instagram.

In saying Hola from the beautiful and spectacular Pineda De Mar in the Costa Brava, where today one had done a gorgeous 8K run and had been in the pool by 1pm, I cannot help feeling for the first time both simultaneously very excited and incredibly relaxed, being on my first visit to Mainland Europe since February 2019. This week’s visit came from a call by fellow Volunteer Race Makers at Silverstone, who in March 2024 asked about interest for a group trip to a Grand Prix. Knowing that I’d always want to experience one overseas and that I haven’t had a continental visit since pre-pandemic, this was something I simply could not refuse. It has also naturally given me a lot of time to reflect and be pretty pleased with how 2025 has turned out thus far, not least this month alone. Alongside this week's holiday, running my first Half Marathon at the Great Birmingham Run which I organised a team for at work and thus contributed to over £2,000 being raised for St Basils, alongside seeing a gorgeous wedding of an amazing work colleague (congrats again Lucy!), plus judge at Solutions for the Planet’s Big Ideas Central England Regional Final for a sixth year running, joining the Board of Coventry Biennial and marching at Birmingham Pride with fellow Wolverhampton Wanderers fans last Saturday for a fourth year in succession, has made this personally a Magnificent May and really shows the power of communities and it’s people at its brilliant best. Back to here; and with lots of lounging beside the pool and my first dips into a swimming pool done since a family visit to Haven Marton Mere in July 2013 (true story!) and some utterly exquisite food being consumed, attention turns to the main event, in witnessing the Formula 1 armaco Gran Premio de Espana 2025, in what is set to be the Circuit de Catalunya’s final bow on the calendar. Even if they have a deal until 2026, Madrid taking away the race for a somewhat annoying looking circuit around a convention centre near an airport, it seems will make Sunday a curtain call after 35 years of noble service. With the track having fairly limited overtaking opportunities (thankfully a lot more than Monaco, which should be made an exhibition event in my view) but a knack for causing drama, it is anyone’s guess who will claim the glory on Race Day itself. Even despite Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton winning every race here since the former’s extraordinary maiden victory in 2016, between 2007-2016 saw 10 different winners on the bounce, illustrating the need for a fast car, being in position to strike when the iron is hot and simply having some belief that it could be anyone’s day. No doubt two key factors for Round 9 of this season, will be the stifling heat that is expected of 29/30 Celsius all weekend and thus the impact this will have on the tires, alongside runaway contenders in McLaren suggesting a performance drop-off is expected with the long-awaited rule changes to the Flexi-Wing (excellently sum-upped by The Race ), which Zak Brown and his boys have utilised to perfection until this moment. A 172-point Constructors World Championship lead after 8 rounds symbolises that to a T. This really goes open up the possibility of a fascinating contest, one of which I cannot and thus I will not specifically predict one name. I do however have a thought that this could turn out to be 2025’s big surprise and that a wildly unexpected victor has their moment, just like Gasly at Monza in 2020 and Ocon at Hungry 2021. Of course, Alonso or Sainz winning on home soil would be majestic beyond measure! With a blisteringly quick Start/Finish Straight, gradient changes and undulation which makes the place almost like a Rollercoaster (as once impeccably illustrated in song by Ronan Keating) and all types of corners around the track, this is sure to be another dramatic and unpredictable 190 Miles come Sunday afternoon. On top of the F1, there will be some extremely entertaining racing in Formula 2, Formula 3 and the Porsche Supercup; all of whom have some exceptional and generational talents within (as Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and George Russell have sublimely illustrated), of which make some early alarm calls when watching at home and the annual pilgrimage of volunteering at Silverstone more than worth it. F2 and the Porsches I suspect however will try to be on their best behaviour, after there Wacky Races style pileups at Turn 1 at Monte Carlo last weekend, which at least again show the immense safety which competitive racing of the kind really has at its core. There will be huge talking points and a lot for me to saviour and see over the coming three days and all of which, makes me very lucky to experience it in real life and I feel massively grateful. No doubt, Little Old Me (cheers Taylor for the inspo in using those three words) would not have believed it just 10 years ago. With that, here’s to a fine few days of motorsport and as I did on Tuesday night sinking another 0% Pina Colada or two, or three!

I'm honoured to have joined the Board and become a Trustee of a force in Contemporary Arts in the West Midlands!

I am utterly appalled and deeply disgusted to hear that Wolverhampton Wanderers did not even apply for promotion to the Women’s Championship for Wolverhampton Wanderers Women , in the event they won the Women’s National League North: which came within 3 points of happening, after they finished 2nd just behind Nottingham Forest in a closely fought battle. On the back of another excellent campaign by the side, which alongside that second place in the 3rd tier of English football included a big Black County Derby win in front of over 3,000 at Molineux on March 23rd and a record club attendance of 5,008 for a second consecutive FA Cup 5th Round appearance in February, hearing such news yesterday has put back such progress considerably and it sadly would not surprise me if Macca and a large majority of the side departed for pastures new this Summer. The clear lack of respect, lack of parity and it seems lack of simple decency towards Macca and his side, who have been in the mix not just this season but for the last several - despite a massive lack of budget compared to other sides, is an even greater and damming stain on the leadership of Jeff Shi and Fosun at the very top of the organisation and shows an unacceptable and inexcusable disrespect towards Women’s Football, which continues to grow in all its forms. This is the clearest and even more shocking evidence that change is urgently required within Wolves hierarchy, and I call on Fosun International, once again, to immediately intervene and dismiss Shi as Executive Chairman of the business after nearly 9 years, which has seen transparency, fan engagement and in this case, honesty, plummet to record lows and terrible depths. I also call for a formal public apology by the club, outlining what occurred in this circumstance, stating truthfully what the intention was and is around next season and the club finally outlining what the long-term plan is for Wolves Women, whose time for that extra investment to push us to the next level is long and most certainly overdue. The motto of “One Pack” means absolutely nothing when hearing about such action and as a member of the club’s Equality Advisory Group, I and others are seeking speedy and comprehensive answers, a group of players, whose efforts, decency and immense commitment to Wolverhampton Wanderers and the City of Wolverhampton, deserve so much better.

I am thrilled to being part of an exciting step, in Solutions' next stage of development!

With 2025’s World Autism Awareness Day being today, I can’t help but reflect on how much there is to do in giving the next generation the opportunities they deserve, but that many are relishing the opportunity to input and fighting for better. Last Thursday night, I as an associate of Changing Our Lives along with others did a half hour presentation to 30 young and aspiring footballers at Sporting Khalsa in Willenhall, as part of a project that seeks to break down perceptions of Autism and Learning Disability in the South Asian Community. I came away from that feeling really encouraged and pleased, at the understanding and real sense of compassion which those youngsters had for one another and illustrates the immense power of education when in action. It also made me reflect on just how much I have personally done and achieved. A University Graduate, someone who has sat on both set of benches in special Parliamentary sittings, visited Number 10, being a guest at a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, having my first full-time job at the biggest major event that my part of the world has ever seen, then moving on to being a part of regional government, as well as volunteering at the Home of Motorsport regularly, being an advocate for various organisations in the disability, sustainability and cultural spaces and running to serve my home City for four years, are all things which for someone like me usually shouldn’t happen! But all that and much more has occurred, which just shows that when the right support is there and by working as hard as you can, people in their own ways can reach the stars. All as above mentioned feel beyond my wildest dreams, but with employment for Autistic and Neurodiverse people still incredibly low and opportunities being limited all thanks to perceptions and diagnoses, as well as broken systems holding millions back: there is still A LOT more to do. Knowing all that I have questioned myself intently: what more can I do as part of such an important mission? Well, with me having scooped 5,102 votes from four Local Government Elections since 2021, even if the last two polls have been incredibly narrow failures which have naturally drained some confidence, I am firmly of the belief that having skin the game, utilising and highlighting personal experiences and willing to go above and beyond in the service of others, is far better than sitting on the sidelines as some, particularly of other generations have somewhat suggested. As a 27 year old whose generation has had potential squashed and opportunities reduced; particularly fellow Autistic and Neurodivergent people and those who reside in communities which has been chronic underinvestment, sitting back for me will never been option. And seeing too, contrary to many narratives and views of some, that many are able to juggle personal lives, alongside their careers, representational responsibilities and other things; I cannot see why that should hinder my aspiration and mission of giving back to the place which I am grateful for opening up all I have done, since becoming a Wulfrunian in 2009. So after very lengthy and hard fought consideration in the last several months and with processes now underway, I do today confirm it’s my intention to apply to be part of The Labour Party’s approved Panel of Candidates and therefore seek selection for the City of Wolverhampton Council Elections on Thursday May 7th 2026 . There have been many points which I have come very close to walking away and putting out a statement declining to apply to be on the Panel of Candidates, not least through things which have been stated and which I believe deliberately and by calculation seek to discourage people like me. I however, as I feel I have shown at many stages in my life, am not one for quitting and with my experiences, growing knowledge and unlimited passion for seeking to be a real change maker and a contributor for the common good, feel that my time to step up that service through Local Government, has duly arrived. I thus look forward to again seeking to submit myself for even greater service in the coming months and if selected by a Branch, will embrace campaigning in seeking what is right. And knowing that I have sought to serve others in the past 13 years, I state that why can’t others who have wonky glasses like me, who take a little longer to think stuff through like me and who perhaps need a few more folks to give them a hand, be able to be a change maker too! I will look forward to updating you all on this and other things down the line, with humility rooted in my heart.

My remarks to WM Labour Regional Conference on March 1st 2025.

A Very Happy New Year! A few more Reflections on 2024 and a 2025 Preview