My Fellowship was awarded in 1982 to look at the integration of children with disabilities into mainstream schools. My motivation came from my severely disabled daughter who at that time was refused a mainstream education. As an English teacher I saw the problem of educational inclusion from both sides.

My Churchill Fellowship changed my life completely as, after visiting the USA, I returned to the UK inspired to help bring about change. I became active in lobbying for a change in attitudes towards disability and also retrained to teach children with additional needs. I developed an experiential programme for children on disability awareness. Eventually I became an educational advisor, now retired. My daughter remains an important part of my life although she now lives in a residential home where I am now a volunteer.

I have moved my focus in retirement, running a creative dance group for older adults, which I run on a voluntary basis. The idea is to offer mental and physical support for the group. I have also run dance workshops in my daughter's and other residential homes.