I am the CEO of Centre 63, a charity based in Kirkby, Knowsley (the second poorest borough in the country) that has been rooted in the community for almost 60 years. My role is to ensure staff are supported and that projects are meeting the needs of the community.

The purpose of my Fellowship is to visit and share practice with a project located just outside The Gambia. This project is an upcycling project, set up by a local woman who now employs 100 women. Centre 63 also has an upcycling project, which focuses on enterprise. The aim of the visit to The Gambia is to look at enterprise and how I can support Centre 63, so that our project can be rolled out Merseyside-wide.

Also, the Centre 63 organisation has a community cafe (we offer free and subsidised meals) and I would like to visit a pay-as-you-go cafe in South Africa set up by a homeless man, so that I can learn about his journey, how his experience was instrumental in setting up the cafe, and to explore further the concept of pay as you go.

I care very much about people, especially those who have had many adverse experiences and have very little self-worth or self-belief. Enterprise is important in helping individuals to recognise their potential and thus determine their own future.