About my role at Westbank

My role is a challenging, varied role over seeing our team of volunteers and all our community service groups. We have groups ranging from breakfast clubs and hobbies groups to children’s story time and memory cafes. In the village where we are based, we also have a community coffee shop that is supported by a team of volunteers, and we even have home made cakes. I love the variety of every day at Westbank and the ability to see firsthand the impact we have with our service users. We have an amazing community hub that is open to everyone and this space is so valuable for people needing a warm, inviting space to come together. Our three community larders also support hundreds of people experiencing cost of living issues and this ability to make a difference is what inspired me to join this incredible charity.

My stand-out career moments

I have had an interesting journey in my career, 20 years ago I was a dive medic and instructor working in the Caribbean and I have also worked across three zoo’s and within school settings. My passion has always been people and it doesn’t matter if you are a patient needing hyperbaric oxygen or a customer service team member I have always enjoyed building and working within a team of people. One of the great benefits of working for a zoo was that we had walking meetings, very often to my favorite land animal the Elephant and I never got board of hearing the noise of the Gibbons in the morning.

My values

I love working with people and empowering them to feel good about their day and what they have achieved. I care deeply about our community and love the opportunity to shape services to what is needed.

Personal interests

I enjoy going to the gym and paddleboarding when I have free time, but with three children at home this can be a challenge. I am also a trustee of a fantastic charity in Zambia and I often volunteer for other local groups supporting people the wider area. My two dogs and the beaches in the south hams are my favorite go to on a sunny day