What skills and experiences do you bring to the board?
As a Care Experienced member of the board I bring knowledge and understanding of the impact and lifelong effect of being Care Experience. I am also a Care Experienced parent of four of my own children which can bring unique challenges that arise as part of the impact of being Care Experienced.
Beyond this experience I bring a wealth of professional experience within Mental Health and Well-being, I have studied Mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Trauma & Adversity.
I have been running Community Mental Health groups in Renfrewshire now for 5 years as well as delivered lectures in college to students about MH and WB. I am Currently studying and further developing my skills in Tension release Exercise (TRE) and looking to complete Compassionate enquiry and Quantum Emotional Coaching (QEC) so always learning and developing in the field of MH.
I am also a fully qualified Florist I completed this and have had my own business from when I was 21 years old. I still do weddings and birthdays (et cetera) to this day.
I volunteer with 5 organisations including Who Cares? Scotland, so I support Shelter Scotland, Childcare First, Families First, RAMH. I also volunteer with Ayrshire Ace Hub and Renfrewshire Ace Hub. My roles are very unique but I love each role and how many people I get to meet and support along the way.
If you could be any animal, which would it be?
If you have met me, you will know I have lots of butterflies tattooed on me as I always have an affinity to the transformation of the caterpillar to the butterfly however if I could choose any animal I think I would like to be an eagle. They are majestic and I would love to fly all over the world but especially enjoy the sunrise and sunset above the clouds
What was your first job?
I had my first job at 13 and I worked in a chip shop every Saturday and every second Sunday (always free chips) 🙂
What is the most important lesson that life has taught you?
Life has taught me lots of lessons and so its difficult to pick just one but one I do love and work on every day is that being my authentic self will make me happier and invite the right people into my life.
Do you have a message for Who Cares? Scotland’s Care Experienced members?
If I could teach anyone anything and this goes for Members and for staff it would be to recognise their own worth their own value and know that they are uniquely special in their own way.
We live in a world where our value is measured by others and by our contribution to society or how much money we earn or make… These are not the standards to live by.
Of all the learning we do in life we are never shown how to love and appreciate exactly who we are. Self Love is a concept that is difficult to undertake but it is worth the journey I promise. So that would (and very often is) my message to anyone. And that its okay to say you need help is a huge part of recognising your own worth and value, it’s never selfish to look out for self.
