J’can community leader launches bid for Mayor of Croydon

LONDON:

Former south London-based radio DJ and Peckham BMX club founder, Michael Pusey MBE, has thrown his hat into the political ring and will be running for Mayor of Croydon in next month’s Local Council Elections scheduled for May 7.

Pusey, who is popularly known as ‘DJ CK Flash’ launched his campaign at the Merky Football Club in South Norwood last week and had a host of celebrity endorsements from the likes of Levi Roots, the popular entertainer and entrepreneur, former Chelsea football star Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Bishop John Francis from Ruach City Church and Nation of Islam European regional leader, Abdul-Hakeem Muhammad.

Representing the newly formed Taking The Initiative Party (TTIP), founded by local entrepreneur Charles Gordon, Pusey will be leading three TTIP candidates in the South Norwood Ward as the party seeks its first seat in the Croydon Council, a borough which has become hotly contested, attracting some of the big parties including Labour, Conservatives, The Green Party and Reform.

Speaking at the launch, Pusey said his campaign was built on three core principles – empowerment, opportunity and community.

He said: “Over the past 20 years, I have seen how belief, opportunity and consistency can transform lives. Croydon is rich in potential, creativity and resilience. As Mayor, I will invest in our people, champion local entrepreneurs and create opportunities that bring lasting pride and progress to our borough.”

Based on his many years working with young people, Pusey said he will also be focusing heavily on youth development as he takes his campaign on the road.

He said: “The main thing is to make sure that the youth have good provisions in their areas. To make sure that youth clubs are fit for purpose, having more facilities that are geared for today’s youth, more studios for music productions, video creations, mentorship programmes for young men and women who want to become entrepreneurs, things that we take for granted. I also want to push for the youth to be healthier, find out what they want to do rather than us pushing our own systems on them.”

CHAMPIONING COMMUNITY NEEDS

While his aim is to get younger first-time voters to come out and support him, Pusey also has a strong passion to get support from the elderly members of the community, an area which is dear to him because of his upbringing from his Jamaican parents.

He said: “I am not only batting for the youngsters for them to get what they want, I am also batting for the elders in our community because that’s how we were brought up. I currently look after my 93 year-old mother, making sure she gets the best care possible, and that is why I will be campaigning heavily for better care facilities for the elders in the borough.”

It is because of this focus that Pusey sees his campaign appealing to a wider cross section of the voters within the Croydon borough.

He said: “The people that support us come from all backgrounds, I am about making it inclusive for everybody, white, black, Asian, African, Caribbean, Irish, European, the issues I am fighting for affects everyone. Everything I do is open to everybody, with love.”

In representing the TTIP, Pusey sees this as an opportunity to drive things forward and get a seat in the room where decisions for the borough are made.

He said: “Regardless of the results in the elections, I believe we have already made an impact as all the major parties are now reaching out to TTIP to continue working with us. We need to let them know we are not going away and my job is to show our community that if we stick together, we can stand up for things that we want.

“I want the young people to look at what we are doing now and use it as an example that they too can take up the initiative in the years to come, championing for the needs of the community and having the remit to help make those decisions. That is what TTIP is about.”

Pusey is better known for his work founding the Peckham BMX Club in Burgess Park in 2004. What started as a grassroots community project has since grown into the number one BMX club in the UK. Under his guidance, the club has produced world-class athletes, including four Olympic team members, a Tokyo 2021 silver medallist and two globally ranked female riders.

Beyond his community work, he is also a seasoned entrepreneur who has successfully built businesses across the property, creative and youth sectors. His lifelong dedication to grassroots empowerment has not gone unnoticed. He received an MBE in 2016 for his services to young people and last year he was named GMTV’s Inspirational Person of the Year. This sits alongside a long list of honours, including the Legacy Award, the Outstanding Community Achievement Award and the Black Excellence Award.

In his campaign for Mayor of Croydon, he plans to be a strong voice for local entrepreneurs, launch new initiatives for young business owners, expand training schemes and establish Croydon as a true centre for innovation and enterprise.