Greater Edinburgh Area
Compassion is at the heart of everything I do. My career began in education with Barnardo’s, where I developed a commitment to supporting vulnerable children and families. After my own baby died in 2009, that commitment became personal. My focus shifted to bereavement, advocacy and improving compassionate care for families experiencing pregnancy, baby and infant loss. As CEO of Held In Our Hearts, I lead with both lived experience and professional expertise. My mission is clear - to make sure no family faces their grief alone, and that every bereaved parent receives the compassionate care they deserve. I advocate for systemic change in how we understand and support baby loss, influencing policy, shaping services and pushing for equitable and person centred trauma informed care. Alongside strategic leadership, I am also a grief counsellor. I value collaboration and connecting with people who are driven by kindness, courage and a commitment to meaningful change.
Held In Our Hearts offers support, understanding and help, both of a practical and emotional nature to bereaved parents who have experienced pregnancy, baby or infant/child loss to 5 years. We are here to offer support for as long as required and our services include peer support, specialist baby loss counselling, monthly group support, subsequent pregnancy support, IVF and infertility support and surviving twin loss support. Our innovative Hospital to Home project bridges the gap between clinical and community care and provides early intervention following loss so no one is alone after pregnancy, baby or infant loss. www.heldinourhearts.org.uk
Delivering training in Scotland to midwives, student midwives and multi-disciplinary professionals to enable participants to develop the knowledge, insight and skills to provide high quality care to parents whose baby dies, either before, during or shortly after birth. All workshops have a strong emphasis on skills-development, particularly in relation to sensitive and effective communication.
Supporting children with social, emotional and behavioural needs and delivering training to schools on behaviour strategies.
Teaching children excluded from mainstream education with the aim to reintegrate them to mainstream schooling