Having grown up in Coventry, I moved to Devon in my early twenties after spending several years in the Army. My service role was mainly logistics, but the experience of teamwork, shared goals and work ethic has stayed with me. After leaving the services, I worked in retail and hospitality management in the southwest until joining the Civil Service in my early 30s, when I undertook a degree in Sociology and a diploma in probation studies. After several years as a Probation Officer, I undertook a Preparing to Train in the Life Long Learning Sector (PTTLS) course to support safeguarding and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) course training delivery, alongside a business diploma (institute of leadership and Management – level 5). The probation service was undertaking a massive period of change management; after completing PRINCE2, I went on to support and complete many projects successfully.

Alongside my professional work, I have volunteered with OXFAM for over 20 years within their festival and events team. Over the past five years, this has led to employed work within the festival management and delivery. In 2018 I started working within a local charity as part of the management team, with a keen focus on business development, project managing and fundraising. My role developed during the pandemic, where I led the drive to ensure the charity was an anchor charity, being flexible and responsive to the community’s needs. As the charity emerged from the pandemic, my role changed towards a project close to my heart, building on the ABCD principles. Since completing the Nurture Development ABCD course, it has renewed my passion and drive for community led projects and the value of capturing stories and skills, with a passionate belief in community integration and development from ‘the inside’.