I’ve been working in the Early Years sector since 1997. My first job was a Nursery Nurse with NHS Western Isles, progressing to become the deputy manager, before moving to work as a Senior Early Years Practitioner at a workplace nursery, where I stayed for 13 years.

Moving across to Inverness in 2015, I became the Preschool Room Manager and Third in Charge of Busy Bees Inverness, an 82-place nursery. I was delighted to be nominated as Newcomer of the Year with Busy Bees.

A move to York beckoned in 2019, where I was the deputy manager of a very busy nursery in the city. This became quite challenging during the pandemic. However, I continued to work from home, providing daily stories and activities, as well as weekly Zoom calls to keep our amazing children entertained, educated and connected during a strange time for all of us. I was surprised and delighted when one of our families nominated me for a Star Teacher award from York Mumbler - it’s an award I cherish.

I stepped down from being the deputy manager to concentrate on my degree studies, and I revelled in the opportunity to ditch some of the paperwork and spend time with the children. I completed my BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies degree in June 2021 and moved shortly afterwards to a setting closer to home, becoming the Room Leader with the 2 year olds – an age group I just adore.

I returned to Inverness in 2023 and took on my first management role at an outdoor nursery. I’m a firm believer in children having consistent and lengthy access to the outdoors, and the ability to explore and experience this in their own time.