International Women’s Day 2021 Aaina Inspiring Leadership Awards

The experiences I gained volunteering and working at the department of work and pensions played a crucial role at the start of my career and the path I chose. My volunteering experience at Aaina sparked my interest in working with the local community, which I still do today. I left my office based job to work in the local community with Age UK Walsall, where I was given the support and opportunities I needed to grow and develop, both as a person and in my career.

I have worked for DWP for the last 18 years in a variety of roles, as the Jobcentre Leader, I gained an understanding of customer needs within the community and secured closer collaborative working to help customers move forward onto employability.

I began volunteering in my community 9 years ago when my late father was diagnosed with cancer. The struggle to understand the illness and to tackle health care/services was an extremely stressful time. There was little support from health providers, and it was a continuous battle to get the right care.

I worked in a factory for 14 years, which suited my life as I was a one-parent family, I could clock in and clock out with no worries at all. During the last three years of my time at the factory, I started to get restless thinking I need more in my life than what I was doing I was encouraged to put in an application for a job working in the Brownhills Community office, just answering the phone and doing the filing.

Madeleine is currently in recovery from heart surgery at Newcross Hospital and was not able to participate in sharing her story and what has motivated and inspired her to dedicate her life to supporting and encouraging young people in Walsall for over the last 30 years.

I started working in the voluntary sector after having my third child, in 1991 I met a lady who introduced me to Walsall Black Sisters Collective and asked me to apply for the Administration Officer vacancy which I did and was successful, I worked in this role for three years by which time the organisation was struggling with funding resulting in the manager leaving, and my paid administration position coming to an end.

My starting point was quite a challenging one. I decided I wanted to work towards a career that gave me some form of satisfaction by helping others, I felt I could help and support others based on some of my own personal life experiences.

My journey began nearly 35 years ago when I became a survivor like the victims I now support daily. I was a single parent with two very young boys for whom I knew I had to strive for, be a positive role model, and a positive influence.