The professional stuff

I am an NCTJ qualified journalist  with expertise  in disability and special educational needs. I  have digital marketing and PR experience and I have written a variety of online and offline  content.

Having been a marketer for a public sector jobs  board, I worked closely with many public sector organisations, promoting the latest recruitment initiatives. I have been a regular blogger for the Jobsgopublic candidate and client blogs and I played a key role in brand promotion by writing feature articles for external websites and  utilising social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Allvoices.

Currently, I am a reporter for Disability Now, whom I have been freelancing for since 2008. In addition, I am a freelance Account Manager for a PR firm, PRforHR, which specialises in HR related-issues, such as corporate responsibility, recruitment and retention and staff engagement.

I have been the editor of a leading special educational needs journal, SEN Magazine and I have managed the PR for a small consultancy firm in South Wales.

The personal stuff

So that’s the ‘career’ stuff out the way. Now for the nitty-gritty interesting bits. Who am I? What makes me tick?

I was born with an undiagnosed congenital syndrome (in plain English, that means I was born with something that no one knows what it is or why it happened). I have micro-opthalmia of my right eye (no sight), lobster claw deformity of my right hand and foot (three fingers/toes missing from the right side) and a small physique to boot. I no longer have a right foot as it was ‘removed’ (to put it politely) when I was 15. I now sport a rather gorgeous prosthesis, with a pattern on it designed by yours truly.

Although I had a childhood of mobility issues, it does not affect my ability to work nowadays, as you can see from my career profile and resume. In fact, I’d say it’s made me an even better worker than most because I have the resilience and the stubbornness to succeed and get results.

But my disability isn’t who I am. Disability doesn’t define a person, although it does go some way to shape a personality. But I digress.

I’m a book-loving, history-buff with a passion for all things literary and I adore, adorereally good books about the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Non fiction, biographies, well-written fiction, I gobble it up. I love it. I’m not talking about the cheesy unsubtle junk that some authors churn out. I’m talking about the real good stuff. The Roddy Doyles, the Margaret Atwoods or even the Marina Lewyckas of the historical fiction world. Yes, yes, I do read other genres but…the historical stuff, the biographies, the eye witness accounts, that’s what really excite me.

What else? Oh, I like cats. A lot. I’m a Pagan and I have an unhealthy obsession with pasta, Russell Brand and the Yorkshire Dales. Not necessarily in that order.

I’m also writing a book. When I say ‘writing’, I’ve been in the state of ‘writing’ this thing since 2003. In about nine years, I’ve written approximately 90 pages. That’s not much, considering. One day it will get finished. I just need an agent in shining armour I guess. And that’s moreorless me. In an online nutshell.

As you may have gathered then, my life pretty much revolves around reading and writing. Personal, professional, pleasure….I love it. The three ‘p’s. Writing and me, we make a good team.