About Me

Hello

I am a highly qualified professional, an activist and a person with lived experiences of some of the issues in which I now specialise. My focus is on social justice, gender-based violence, criminology, public health, and young people. Qualified with a Master’s degree (MSc) and a Bachelor of Science (BSc Hons), I have undertaken professional development in health science, public health, criminology/sociology, advanced research methods and Leadership. However, the roots of my passion for social justice are deeply embedded in my childhood.

When I was eight years old, I moved from Larne in Northern Ireland to Aberdeenshire with my mum and brother. This was the start of a new life in a women's domestic abuse refuge. That life has since taken many twists and turns, but I have converted the energy from past pain into a driving force to seize the moment for change. Now, I offer encouragement to others: do not fear your identity or your lived experiences. This is something I will talk about in more detail in my blog section, along with other topics.

During my career, I have worked with police officers, the Scottish Government, practitioners in public health, young people, and key populations. It has been my privilege to help transform services and policy as well as improve frontline support for marginalised people, for those who experience health and wellbeing exclusion, violence, and criminal justice outcomes. Such work has taken me to the UK and on international trips to participate in consultations, research and conferences, and to support grassroots community projects.

I'm a strong advocate for ensuring people with lived experience of disadvantage can access the same development opportunities as everyone else. I am equally passionate about creating new spaces for change, moving away from simplistic binaries. An understanding of nuances and diversity is crucial since we know life is complex. This was the inspiration for my brand 'no binaries, just inclusion'; from all my years of experience, simple binaries are unhelpful to vulnerable and marginalised people because they do not accurately represent the diversity of human experience. This can negatively impact funding and service provision.

Overall, I want to continue to be part of raising the potential that exists in the North of Scotland. That is why I am developing my own consultancy. I would like to hear from anyone in the North East of Scotland who would like to contribute their experience of training, leadership and project management to collaborate on community projects or to undertake research.