I grew up in the Calder Valley during the 70s and 80s. I was one of five children brought up through difficult times by my Mum. We experienced poverty, stigma, and unfortunately abusive situations also. These experiences affected my aspirations around education and I left school at 16 and moved away soon afterwards. I worked in factory and farming jobs only returning to the Calder Valley in 2000 as a single parent with three children, little education and no job.
I was lucky to find a role as founding community development worker for a new organisation which had been initiated by people experiencing marginalisation and exclusion in West Yorkshire. I went on to serve and lead the organisation as CEO for the next eighteen years.
As CEO in a small charity, you have to be an ‘all-rounder’ with responsibilities ranging across safeguarding; funding and commissioning; managing teams; developing policies and systems; ensuring good governance; and even public speaking! I learned a lot about myself and I found my passion about social inclusion and social justice. Our successes led to growth and recognition (LBF Community Champion Awards 2017; GSK Impact Awards 2018) and I was very pleased (and quite amazed) to receive an honorary doctorate from Dundee University in 2017.
After ensuring our beloved organisation was taken over by a safe pair of hands in 2021, I moved on to fresh pastures in a newly created role as Head of Funding Equity and Inclusion at one of our large non-departmental funders. For the last few years, I’ve enjoyed working with dedicated small organisations as a freelance charity management consultant. I am always in awe of how hard people in small charities work to support our most vulnerable community members and to raise the profile of society’s most pressing issues.
I learned about EdShift after being invited to participate in an International Women’s Day panel event, spending some time in the building and meeting the team. I am really impressed by the approach EdShift takes to supporting young people affected by domestic abuse. and by the rigour and values that underpin the work. How I wish a service like EdShift had been around when I was a troubled child struggling to focus on my education and my future, so I am delighted to have the chance to serve the organisation as a member of the Board.