Even today, although I am happy at work and in my personal life and I have spent 99% of my life here in the UK, I still think of Dominica as home. At work I speak with an English accent and after I have spoken to some people on the phone and then we meet in person, you can see that they are surprised to see that I am Black. But at home I am Dominican.
I became pregnant when I was still at school, so I didn’t do my exams until after my daughter was born. I took O Levels and A Levels at a further education college. I worked in a Jobcentre, helping young people find work. I went to university at Roehampton when I 28 and got a 2:1 in theology and religious studies with education.
I worked as an Education Officer for an Arts Council funded organisation that toured artistes from Africa and the Caribbean around England. I enjoyed this and stayed with them for ten years. Marriage, pregnancy, giving birth to my son and the loss of my mother all took their toll on my mental health and I lost my job and I spent time in hospital.
The combination of the loss of my mother (and the subsequent Independent Review Panel) together with the experience of an Employment Tribunal, compounded my mental health difficulties and I struggled to find work for six years.
I started doing voluntary work for my local MIND, who encouraged me to put myself forward to join a mental health panel as a service user, to help improve the delivery and quality of care. I sat alongside doctors and consultants on an equal basis on committees. This was the first step towards the work I do now.
I hope to continue working for years, I feel that I have a lot more to offer. I am surrounded by really powerful women who encourage me. The Trust offers coaching and mentoring, as well as career opportunities for people of my age! It really inspires me. We need greater representation of BAME people to reflect all areas of mental health. The reality of Black mental health in this country, particularly in London, is atrocious. This is one area that I have been asked to work on, and quite frankly, I can’t wait!