Much of my working life has been spent in a training environment within a variety of settings.  Upon leaving school I entered the equestrian world where I qualified and worked as a riding instructor for several years.  I taught stable management and practical riding to adults and children designing and teaching a variety of riding clubs along the way.  I also delivered training to students preparing for their British Horse Society examinations.

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After a few very enjoyable years within this industry I made the decision to keep horses as a hobby only as I was spending more time teaching the sport than I was practising it myself.

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I moved into a financial environment where I discovered a passion for numbers (my maths teacher from school would certainly have been even more surprised than I was about this!).  I embarked upon a distance learning study programme working towards full membership of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management.  I qualified in 2003 and was awarded the Equifax prize for gaining the highest UK marks in one of my final papers. I was managing financial teams during this period and regularly shared the knowledge and skills I gained throughout my studies to support and develop other team members.

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I spent several successful years within a credit management environment, being employed and working as a freelancer, until I decided it was time to change direction again.

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I knew that I wanted to remain involved in training in some shape or form so whilst I was deciding what I wanted this to look like I signed up for an evening course to gain an Adult Teaching qualification.

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Shortly after completing the course I joined an ERDF business start-up / business growth project as an Enterprise Trainer and Coach.  I delivered regular workshops on a variety of topics key to starting and running a successful business. The workshops covered soft skills including Confidence-Building, Communication, Problem Solving, Leadership, Resilience and Adaptability alongside the technical skills for business including Market Research, Business Planning, Sales and Marketing and Financial Management.  I also met with clients on a one to one basis providing coaching focusing on areas including action planning, goal setting and wellbeing.    

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A trained Listening Samaritan and volunteer, I am a Mental Health Approved Instructor for Mental Health First Aid England, Qualsafe, ProQual and Nuco and, in addition, a  BSC/ILM Wellbeing Coach. 

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I am privileged to do the work that I do, especially over the last couple of years whilst we have been living within a pandemic situation.  This work has never been more important, providing Mental Health & Wellbeing training and equipping individuals with the knowledge of how to support their own mental health and that of others. Everywhere we turn we are being told that we are in the midst of a mental health crisis, services are overwhelmed and waiting times are getting longer. Having the tools and confidence to keep someone safe who is experiencing challenges with their mental health is invaluable.

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Research shows that one of the best things we can do to support our wellbeing is to never stop learning, for example by following a formal course of study or engaging in a new hobby, so outside of the working environment I always have a project or two on the go!  These have included spending a week at a cookery school learning all sorts of new skills which were soon put into practice when I started baking for a local café and also gaining my PADI Open Water Diver qualification.   If anyone is considering the PADI qualification my advice would be to think very carefully before embarking on this in Cornwall in January - it is fair to say that it was more than a bit chilly! 

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? How will you invest in your wellbeing today

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