I have spent the past 11 years developing two redundant urban green spaces into creative, innovate and diverse community resources offering volunteering and training opportunities in horticulture, the natural environment and other related areas. The People’s Community Garden includes a community apiary, CRESS community hub and ActivSheds construction project, while Chantry Walled Garden is a plant nursery growing 25,000 plants for Ipswich parks and open spaces, together with an accessible Garden for Older People. I also manage outreach projects in Ipswich and, currently, our main outreach project in Sudbury. My job with ActivLives represented quite a career jump – as an English graduate, I worked for many years as a journalist in London and Melbourne before settling on the Essex/ Suffolk border with my husband and three children in 1995. While working as a sub editor at the East Anglian Daily Times, I decided to study for an RHS Diploma in Horticulture at Writtle College. I briefly ran a gardening business with a colleague, before landing a job with the Town & Bridge Project, now ActivLives, in 2008.

Bio to follow.

I joined the ActivGardens team in August 2019, working with Grow Your Community project in Sudbury. In October, I extended the role to Ipswich – as Project Officer at the People’s Community Garden.

I have worked in education for around 22 years – most recently at Thomas Gainsborough High School in Sudbury as Head of Careers.  In 2015 I was awarded the prestigious CDI National award ‘Career Educator of the Year’ for my work with young people at risk of disengagement.  In 2016, I achieved a post graduate qualification in careers guidance to support people of all ages. 

In 2004 I became a Cub Scout Leader, progressing to Akela for the 1st Great Cornard Cub Scouts from 2005 for around 10 years. I have experience of bushcraft and root scouting practices.  My campfire cooking sessions are already popular with volunteers and placements. 

I am married to Ian, we moved to Lavenham in 2012, where we have an allotment at the end of our garden; I like nothing better than to disappear for hours into the greenhouse to experiment with new seed varieties and plant cuttings.  We believe in gardening organically and companion planting and encourage a range of wildlife to our garden. We are both keen cooks and enjoy pickling and preserving our produce.  

My skills and experience of working across the community are invaluable.   I still cannot believe that I have been able to combine my two passions in life – supporting people and gardening.  I feel very lucky to work with a range of people in the community and look forward to going to work each day.