"You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time." (Angela Davis)
I grew up believing that with hard work, anything was possible. Growing up in 1980s London tested that belief. My path was not linear. The playing field was uneven, and bias shaped much of what I experienced and what I was told about my place in the world.
My life began to take shape in my twenties, when I started reading, learning and unlearning. I came to see that I had been cast as the underdog in a race I never chose to enter. I also came to understand that community is more than gatherings, protests or organisations. It is a mindset built on shared values, and it is an identity. That understanding has guided my work ever since.
I began my career in the third sector on Women into Work, a programme supporting women affected by the criminal justice system into education, training and employment. As a frontline worker with lived experience, I spoke with peers and took part in conversations with senior leaders and what was then NOMS. More than twenty years later, returning to this landscape feels like coming full circle. This time I bring deeper knowledge, a richer understanding of communities, and the chance to help shape change on a national scale.
Today I build relationships between communities, corporate partners, institutions and businesses. I lead an organisation founded on a simple principle: permanently included, not excluded. I champion the rights of children, young people and adults.
I chose the RR3 role because I believe meaningful change happens when communities' voices and experiences are genuinely heard and reflected in decision-making. My work has consistently centred on advocacy, community engagement, youth voice, and creating opportunities for underrepresented people to influence the systems that affect their lives. Working with young people, grassroots organisations and public-sector partners, I have seen the value of lived experience. I have also seen what happens when decisions are made without it.
RR3 gives me the opportunity to bring that perspective into a wider space, to learn from others, and to contribute constructively to discussions on policy, practice and community impact. Above all, I want to help bridge the gap between policy and people's real lives, so that engagement is meaningful and respectful and leads to better outcomes.
That is what acting as if transformation is possible, all the time, looks like to me.