Director of the Lancashire Health and Well-Being Centre. C.I.C.,
CEO for Blackburn with Darwen Carers Service, a Charity supporting unpaid family carers living in the Borough
I wanted to work with children and qualified as a Nursery Nurse in 1988. I went on to further study in 1990 and become a Hospital Play Therapist working within a hospital setting with children and young people providing therapy play to help them deal with evasive treatments and procedures. I became a team leader at Queens Park Hospital in Blackburn and then moved on to a higher-grade role at Preston Hospital. I married in 1994 and went on to have two children, Scarlett 17yrs and Blake 13yrs.
I changed direction in 2001 and moved to the Voluntary Sector and was employed as a Young Carers Development Worker. This was a brand new project that needed setting up. I took on the role of Young Carers Manager and grew the service over the next 3 years. I then become a Development Worker for a new Carers Service in 2004, supporting adult carers.
Over the past 8 years, I have taken the Service into independency, developed new services and projects, secured ongoing statutory funding and grown the team. As CEO, I am responsible for the Strategic and Operations of the service. The Service employs 14 staff and has a Trustee Board. I had the opportunity to set up a Social Enterprise in 2011 – The Olive Branch Restaurant. Profit from the Restaurant will help sustain the Carers’ Service. I completed a Diploma in Management Studies in 2010. I was a School Governor providing support to the Head Teacher in running the Primary School where my children attended.
As well as working full time, I have my own Slimming World Franchise business running a group every Wednesday evening supporting members to reach their targets and dreams. I love spending time reading and watching my family in amateur dramatic productions and of course, eating out is a favourite!