A bit about me

Creative educator

Researcher & learning resources producer

Community engagement practitioner

I have a First Class (Hons) Degree & a PG Cert in Heritage Management. I've worked in settings ranging from a hospice to a Tudor hunting lodge, mainly for trusts, charities & local authorities.

All my posts have involved personnel & resource management, sharing enthusiasm for & information about a particular subject or cause, & liaising with communities. This has included uncovering amazing hidden heritage stories, developing learning sessions & resources, devising interactive trails, creating visual stories & sensory kit, organising volunteer projects, running events, leading tours, providing teaching support in schools, & taking groups on outdoor learning experiences. I was the City of London’s Lifelong Learning Officer for Epping Forest so I know how to develop a learning service. In that & in a variety of roles since, I've devised & taught curriculum-linked & leisure learning to all ages & abilities.

To ensure best practice & knowledge sharing, my ongoing CPD includes membership of the South East Museums Federation (SemFed), the international Group for Education in Museum (GEM) & Co-Representative for the GEM East of England region. Until moving out of the area, I was an active Committee member of the Essex Heritage & Learning Education Group & a member of the Harlow Heritage Group. I'm now a member of the Suffolk Museums & Libraries Network (SMILE).

Disability/neurodiversity access trainer & consultant

I'm passionate about inclusion & access, stemming from a lifetime of personal, familial & professional experience of disability & neurodiversity. Examples include dementia, learning disabilities, autism, dyslexia, & mobility difficulties. I have lots of experience as a carer. In addition, I've volunteered with people with access needs such as visiting visually impaired people to support their use of new audio equipment. More recently, I've volunteered at 'relaxed' theatre performances helping audiences to have the best possible time.

My training & consultation on autism enabled one of the first museums in the UK to gain the National Autistic Society’s (NAS) Autism Friendly Award. As well as autism, I now also train & advise on sensory differences, dementia, learning disabilities, & on disability awareness more broadly.

I continually undertake training to keep abreast of matters relating to museums, D/deaf, disability & neurodiversity. I'm a member of the SEND Network for museum professionals, the Museums & Diversity Network, & the Yorkshire Accessible Museums Network. I'm a credited volunteer researcher for the national reports 'State of Theatres Access 2023', 'Heritage Access 2022' & its 2018 predecessor.