I’ve lived in Sussex almost all my life, apart from a stint in Winchester for my degree and in London for a couple of years working. Sussex, especially the coast, is where I’m happiest and I was very glad that my partner was happy to move here too. We now get to have lots of family time by the sea with our little boy.
When I was growing up, I was always on the go. I was into everything and I had many phases where I was obsessed with certain things. I had a vet phase, a teacher phase, an archaeologist phase and always planned on being a mummy! I've always felt a need to be inquisitive and analytical, but also caring and supportive.
I worked in numerous jobs before joining BSMS in 2012. I worked in two secondary schools with children with special educational needs (SEN) units, various shops, the British Museum and Worthing Museum.
The biggest challenge I've overcome is becoming a mother. It was not a straightforward journey for us. It’s been challenging, heart-breaking, exhausting, hilarious and full of joy, all in equal measure. It has also been a challenge to learn how to be a working mother. The world does not make it an easy thing to do, or do well. I’m lucky to have such a supportive team around me and many other working parents who have helped me along the way.
Personally, my biggest achievement is all of the above. It has given me a strength I never knew I had. Professionally, getting my new role has been a massive achievement. I get to pull together all the experience I have gained and do something that I am really passionate about.
I am in awe of parents that work hard, provide for their families, know themselves well, trust their instincts, and fight for fairness and a better future. Seeing the world through our children’s eyes, the wonderment they see in the smallest things, but also having that intense need to protect, nurture and provide security for them. It’s a heavy weight to bear at times, but it matters so much.
There is very little time for me to switch off! I try to focus more on taking moments to pause and be present, even for a few seconds whilst making a much-needed cup of coffee. The pandemic and all the various restrictions on life outside the home actually worked well for us as a family and made it so much easier to keep a healthy balance between home and work. I’m a big fan of hybrid working.
The thing I have enjoyed the most about my time at BSMS is the people. I have worked with so many over the 10 years, and am glad to call so many colleagues real friends. We have shared many ups and downs, major life moments, happy and sad, and I am certain I wouldn’t have stayed so long without them. I’m sending massive hugs out to all those special people, I will miss you so much, you know who you are!
I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into my new role! As a librarian in the learning and enterprise team, my new role is going to be really dynamic, playing an active part in developing and delivering much needed support services. Community outreach has always been a passion of mine, making services accessible to all, whatever sector, really matters to me. I’m excited to bring new energy to the team, develop some new resources around health information, and spend some time working with the local history archive, getting back to my roots in archaeology and cultural history.
The best piece of advice I would give my younger self would be to keep going and keep fighting. The fight might be hard, and you will want to give up along the way, but you WILL get to where you need and are meant to be.
To women starting out in their careers, I would say be flexible. Take what you can from any role you take on. The early jobs in your working life are not always an obvious step on the career pathway you envisage for yourself but they are useful for skills building. Take them as opportunities to build a solid ‘work’ mentality, find your work-life needs, and build the transferable skills you will be thankful for down the line.