My Fellowship was in 1979 and was a formative event, impacting on all aspects of my life ever since. I travelled to Australia and New Zealand to look at the outdoor programmes of their Girl Guide Associations. Extending my knowledge of how sister organisations of Girl Guides in the UK worked and increasing my confidence in travelling to the other side of the world showed me the importance of outdoor activities and residential stays at home and globally. Since that time I have taken hundreds of girls to many countries and empowered many others to travel to camps, holidays and projects all over the world.

I am still a member of Girlguiding, continuing to lead girls locally and train leaders throughout the organisation. I was Chief Commissioner for North East England with 60,000 members, a Trustee of Girlguiding, chairing the Audit and Risk Committee. I am currently Chair of the National Awards Committee.

Professionally I followed a career in primary education, spending over 20 years as a headteacher in north-east England before retiring in 2016. Wherever I taught, children were always given opportunities for outdoor residential experiences, mirroring my Fellowship interests.