The Lister Area Kidney Patients Association (LAKPA) is a small charity dedicated to improving the lives of kidney patients and their families served by the Lister Hospital in Stevenage. Lister Hospital provides a wide range of services to over 1000 kidney patients; including pre-dialysis/transplant, dialysis, assessment for living donors and transplantation and post transplantation. It manages dialysis units at the Lister, St Albans, Luton & Dunstable and Harlow Hospitals and at a dialysis unit in Bedford. LAKPA is run entirely by volunteers, all of whom have had their life impacted by kidney disease and has developed strong working relationships with clinical and support staff across the renal unit. We all recognise that a kidney diagnosis is life changing and it is important to provide emotional support alongside the medical. As a post transplant patient I am passionate to help make a difference to those on their kidney journey, for which their diagnosis brings significant changes to their lives.

Providing leadership for a highly talented team of youth and children's work specialists. Responsible for working with the trustee board to provide strategic direction and ensuring the development of the offer to member organisations and the ongoing viability of the charity through fundraising and working with key partners eg Herts Sports & Wellbeing Partnership and Herts Music Service. As with all small charities responsible for all key aspects of the work, and so developing many and varied skills.

Leading an amazing team of youth workers in 3 key locations and various short term projects. Responsible for managing the team through 3 Lead Youth Workers, and ensuring the development and training for the whole team to ensure their own growth as youth workers and individuals. Successfully raised significant funding for new and existing projects, providing increased opportunities for young people.

Encouraging, training and supporting young people and youth leaders across the Church of England in the Diocese. Initiating events and projects that provided learning opportunities for young people through a network of volunteers recruited and trained to deliver as needed. Developing a network of support for paid youth workers, and supporting churches in the employment of workers. Led the planning and running of the Easter Monday Pilgrimage, held in the grounds of St Albans Cathedral, also an International Youth Festival held in St Albans and various locations across Europe. Developed the website and other forms of communication to raise awareness of young people in the church. Jointly wrote 'Taking A Part, young people's participation in the Church'. My role included Director of Reach Out Projects which I undertook until 2008 when the charity appointed its own Director.

As part of my role in St Albans Diocese I was responsible for the work of Reach Out projects which provided resources to support work with young people an children. On arrival with the trustees we undertook a review of the activities and focused energy on the Canal Boat fleet and Chellington Residential Youth Centre. As well as overseeing the day to day activity I led the developments in both of these areas. The Canal boats are located at Nash Mills, Hemel Hempstead on the Grand Union and we fund raised, designed and built wide beamed boats which are accessible to people with special needs and disabilities and providing special activities for disadvantaged young people. The Chellington Centre, located in North Bedfordshire, was effectively camping in the redundant Church of St Nicolas. A major fundraising campaign was launched and over £1.2 million raised to renovate and extend the 13th century church into a high quality 30 bed centre for young people. Overlooking the Ouse Valley the stunning environment is a great setting for the centre, providing young people, particularly those from deprived areas a transformational experience. I am currently supporting the centre to fund raise for further developments and, 15 years since the renovation, the centre is in exceptional condition and continuing to serve many young people year by year. Having seen these developments take place it was agreed that the charity needed a fully focused Director, not sharing the role of Youth Officer. A Director was appointed in 2008 and I focused all my time on the Youth Officer role.