Hugs

• When I hug people they take a big sigh and melt into me. I'm regularly asked for another one, which I usually am always happy to provide. :-)

Early Life

• I was born in the United Kingdom and now live slap bang in the middle of the magical island of Jamaica which is wonderful for me because I love adventures.

My Girls

• I am deeply proud of both of my daughter’s yeh! Yes I ve said it; I really don’t understand why we can’t have this as a section on our resumes! No seriously! My greatest life achievements are raising both of my girls; the two of them were preemies, the eldest 3lb and the youngest 6 lbs 8 oz. ouch! I was absolutely blessed they both survived.

• Now that they're flying the globe I LOVE to see them doing their thing! I love that they both go for it look at me I am on top of a Mountain, Trapeze, Great Wall of China no copping out type of women. Both stand for justice and equality; there’ll be no kicking of the underdog when they're around. They are also both brutally honest which keeps things fresh and real. Being their Mum is my greatest life achievement and my greatest source of learning. Yep, Love Em!

First Response

• I’m really proud of designing a programme of training called First Response. It all began when I started seeing my individual clients in so much pain, as I listened to the recollections of their treatment received from First responders. Their accounts where far, far from supportive, I was angry obviously, outraged of course, then I caught myself and said what can I do about this. I thought some more Hmm………… after I while I thought Oh no!  I heard it, that little voice in my head that says yep that’s for you to do.

• I thought if only we could come together collectively and provide a responsible response that’s a gateway to individuals finding real help, not added shame, hopelessness and despair; we’d be half way there.

• So I grabbed the phone and started calling all the medical Social Workers based at the hospitals across Jamaica, followed by contacting CISOCA, Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse and then the United Cayman Church when I finished my phone was hot!

• I soon began compiling the first professional responses that was given to sexual abuse victims and compared this to what my clients wanted to experience.

• I went on to work with these professionals, together each of us gaining various insights to each other’s professional remits, our aims and objectives in our work relating to sexually abused persons. I had conversations with them about how we could strategically improve our support our clients to utilise all of our services collectively for their far-reaching benefit.

• I got a buy in from my peers.

• The First Response programme toured the island of Jamaica for five years thanks to partnerships formed with the Police, Clergy, Social Workers, Guidance Councillors, Doctors and Nurses.

• In 2018 we are scheduled to deliver the revised programme live in the United Kingdom followed by an online version for greater accessibility.

Big Family

1. I am besotted with my ridiculously large family which takes me almost a month to keep in contact with, if I call them at a rate of one 30 min call every other night to each sub-cluster which I regularly attempt to do it will take me the entire month to touch base.

2. My Grandmother, who I was privileged to grow up around, was an orphan. Her life’s mission was to create a family that would look after each other. She raised us all with very strong overt and covert ‘Keep the family together at all costs’ messages. She even instilled in us that we were never to travel altogether in one form of transport but in sub groups, as the loss would be too much to bear for any one family member that survived lol. Its only when I grew up, I realised that only Royal families had such rules governing their families travel arrangements.

Past Life

1. I’ve been married once and divorced and I am truly grateful for the awful experience, as it has taught me so much about navigating difficult and excruciating life situations.

Life Today

1. I am currently almost spoilt rotten by my life partner who cooks mouth-watering dishes and live juices especially for me every day with ingredients directly from our garden.

2. My work solutions create a safe space for my clients to shed their deep seated fears, expose and tend to their wounds and evaluate the culmination of their life choices.