I have lived in Devon for my whole life, originally from North Devon, I moved to East Devon at the age of 7. I started my working life at 14 years old working in the kitchens of a restaurant. Over the next 30 years I mostly worked within the hospitality industry working my way up the ranks to become a head chef, followed by 8 years as a cook in a residential home, before leaving the trade to seek new experiences.

My first experience of working within a charitable environment was as a volunteer call handler for a Blood Bike charity in Devon, I was also a volunteer fundraiser. I enjoyed fundraising so much that eventually I became the fundraising coordinator on a volunteer basis. In 2016, I transitioned to becoming part of the core team of the charity as a fundraising coordinator and administrator, soon progressing to fundraising manager before eventually becoming the Operations Manager for the Blood Bike Service, which became a vital resource during the pandemic.

All of the skills and experience that I have today enable me to continue to develop my passion for community work and development. This foundation has underpinned my work and commitment to continue to work with our local communities, where individual strength and desire can drive sustainable community growth from within using the ABCD approach. This experience has benefited me greatly in my current role as a charity-based Community Engagement Facilitator.