I have spent most of my life in youth work getting the bug as a teenager. After leaving school I started on an art pre dip course but then ran away to join the army! This, surprisingly, lasted nearly 4 years, working as an analyst in Special Intelligence. This was also my first attempt at collective bargaining - it didn't go down too well and I was threatened with a charge of mutiny - the only charge punishable by death! After doing a combined teaching and youth work degree I went on to teach for a short while but then went into fulltime youth work. During my youth work career I have been a club based, outreach and detached worker. I also represented Unison on the JNC and as chair of the Youth and Community Workers Forum for several interesting years. I now work on the FSA Financial Capability Strategy as a Youth Policy Adviser with particular responsibility for developing our strategy to meet the needs of young people who are not in education employment or training. I have been a local councillor and parliamentary candidate and am currently a Prospective European Parliamentary Candidate (PEPC) for the Eastern Region. I also sit on the Federal Policy and International Relations Committees of the Liberal Democrats. I am a trustee of ElijahTrust ( a charity working with the 20% Arab minority in Israel) and chair of Compowerment a charity committed to community cohesion. When I get time to myself I love walking, talking (!) spending time with friends and family and anything artistic. For me, my eyes are the greatest gift God gave me and this is the sense I couldn't survive without. I have two adorable children, Lara and Ravi and an even more adorable granddaughter Sumaiyah!