Following an Arts Degree I worked within the Community Arts field and then joined Cardiff City Council’s Leisure Department in the mid 1980’s working in and managing a number of full-time Play Centres and supporting a range of arts and community activities.

In the mid 1990’s I attended Bradford University to undertake a Masters in Applied Social Studies by Research and introduced me to the concept of social and economic disadvantage as well as gender and racial bias.

I worked in local government for over 35 years in different parts of the UK, from front line to strategic and senior officer level and have benefited from having job roles in most of the principle departments such as Leisure, Social Care, Education and Housing as well as spanning the population from earl years, through to youth support and adult social care. This gave me a real understanding of the cross-cutting nature of all public service business and how to tackle the complex and holistic needs of an individual, family and or community.

Partnership and integration have always been a recurrent theme. In Powys County Council I held a number of partnership roles, including Senior Partnership Manager for the Children and Young People’s Partnership (CYPP), facilitation manager for the Local Service Board and more latterly the lead manager for the Regional Partnership Board which has the remit for integrating and coordinating health and social care.

All of this work has required collaboration with, and or development of, the voluntary sector: encouraging active engagement of volunteers both in the delivery and improvement of services, supporting organisations to develop and engage with planning, policy, and strategy, advising and facilitating access to resources, and helping organisations diversify and plan for sustainability. 

On a personal level I have also volunteered whether as a local youth and play worker, through to being an active member of a number of local national and regional voluntary and charitable organisations, including, Knighton Community Centre Committee, Play Wales and Playwork Northwest. I have operated in a variety of executive roles including Chair, Secretary, Charitable Status and Constitutional advisor, and Fundraiser.

I’m now focusing my energies back where I started, in the arts. I have my own studio and workshop and make unique hand-crafted jewellery and other small items from precious metals such as silver and gold using a variety of techniques including etching, casting and enamelling.

I very much value the fact that I can still play an active role in public service life by serving as a PAVO Trustee.