I am the Assistant Director of Development for ENABLE Works, part of the ENABLE Group, responsible for driving and developing new and existing services that support people with disabilities to gain and retain employment with a particular passion around education and skills programmes for young people with disabilities. I am also a Non-Executive Director and Chair of Paws for Progress, an organisation which supports young people in custody and rescue dogs to work together to build better lives.

Awarded a Fellowship in March 2020, I will travel to the USA to explore best-practice examples of transitional support for young people who have learning disabilities.

A positive transition from school for a young person who has a learning disability is vital to ensuring a successful adult life. Statistics show that those who leave school without a positive destination are four times more likely to be unemployed by the age of 25. This is never more needed than post Covid-19, where young people with disabilities have been so disproportionately impacted.

I want to take the learning from my Fellowship and use it to ensure every young person has an equal chance to live the life they want.