The Team

My career began in Sheffield when I started working for the Children and Families social care department before moving on to manage housing related support services for older people , this time working in the voluntary sector. Both jobs made me realise the importance of good quality housing and support and the difference this can make to people’s lives.

My journey at Rush started in January 2009 when I joined a well-established team providing supported accommodation and Employment & Education support to homeless and vulnerable young people in and around the Rotherham area. In 2015 I was delighted to be appointed to the role of CEO and alongside our trustees, staff team and young people set out a strategic plan to move the charity forward and develop our services to meet the needs of young people in our community. Our staff team at Rush are clearly committed and devoted to the ethos of the organisation and this shows clearly in the outcomes achieved with the young people we support. Alongside my role at Rush I am also the joint Chairperson of Rotherham Children, Young people & Families consortium and in 2018 became Chair of South Yorkshire Police, Rotherham Independent Advisory Group. My spare time is largely dominated by my family of which I have 3 children, 3 step-children and 2 grandchildren. Weekends are usually spent watching my youngest son play football, taking part in Park runs, walks in Derbyshire or babysitting!

I was born and raised in Rotherham but left in 1998 to go to Huddersfield Uni where I achieved a 2:1 BSc degree in Psychology. My original career choice was to be a Primary School teacher but life took a few interesting turns and I ended up applying to work at Rush in 2003 and have been here ever since!. 2023 will see me taking on a new role at Rush as I become Head of Services, overseeing not only our supported accommodation but also overseeing our education, training and employment services. This is quite a change for me but I feel over recent years Rush has gained some real traction and reputation for delivering excellent EET support and I am thrilled to be pushing forward our new Brighter Futures service when it starts in January 2023.

It’s no exaggeration to say Rush has been my passion and focus for the last 19 years and has been my greatest and proudest achievement until I became a Mum to 2 beautiful daughters. I know that Rush has so much more to offer and I am so thrilled that my new role allows me to be more involved in the strategic development and direction of our organisation. My energy and passion will always drive my determination that our service users are given the best possible support and nurture. The fact that they return year on year to tell us of their successes just makes it all the more worthwhile and it is their stories that keep me focused and motivated to develop this service to best meet the needs of our most vulnerable people. Away from Rush I am a massive fan of Strictly Come Dancing and take every chance I get to see live performance, be that dance, music gigs or musical theatre. In my spare time when I’m not entertaining my kids and attending kids parties, I love any chance to get outside and wander. I really love being in nature – particularly next to water and watching the sun set.

I have worked for Rush House from 2015. I manage the admin team. We look after all admin and finance areas within Rush House. As part of my role as Company Secretary I deal with all board meetings and liaising with the board of directors.

Previous to this I worked in the travel industry for over 13 years. Throughout my career in travel I started as a modern apprentice, worked my way up to travel consultant, worked abroad as an overseas rep, and then worked my way up to senior management level.

After being made redundant in 2013 I went back to College to study accountancy. I had already achieved a NVQ level 3 in Management from my previous role and thought that some accountancy qualifications would go well with that. I achieved my AAT level 2 certificate and level 3 diploma in accountancy. After achieving these qualifications, I applied for and was appointed in my current position with Rush House.

I really enjoy working at Rush House, it’s a very friendly and supportive environment to work in and my role is really varied from day to day which I really like. It’s also nice to work for a company that provides the services and support that we do.

Outside of work I like travelling abroad with my family, spending time with my family, walking and watching sports and films.

Project Manager Supported Housing at Rush House, overseeing the support and accommodation services here at Rush.

I am, and have always been, passionate about supporting young people to making the best of themselves. I am proud to be a part of the Management structure here at Rush. Although I oversee the service delivery of the organisation, I am always still keen to get involved on the front line, so am often found to be offering support to young people and also out in the community, promoting Rush and what we stand for.

I have worked in supporting housing for coming up to 20 years (I know I don’t look old enough, but it’s an edited photo!) and have worked in many different area’s within this field, from working in an adults homeless hostel and supporting those with substance misuse, working in tenancy support teams across the borough and working with young people.

I started as a key worker at Rush (which I loved!), then gradually moved up the ladder into a management role. I have run numerous projects within Rush, from working with Ethnic Minority Communities offering housing advice and support, Project Management on ‘Anything’s Possible Rotherham’ supporting Rotherham residents to obtain Education, Employment and Training opportunities and delivering Rush’s very own ‘A.P.O.Y.O’ (A Place Of Your Own Pre Tenancy Course)

Prior to working in the housing sector, I worked for DWP for approx. 10 years in a multitude of roles from specialist benefit advice to benefit fraud investigation.

Bit about me…. I love food (everyone knows my obsession with cheese), red wine, Dem Blades (The mighty Sheffield United), music (as I’m a drummer in band) but most importantly my family...my kids are my life!

I love what I do, I love what Rush is about and what it stands for and am so proud to be a part of the Rush family. The only thing I’d ever leave rush for is… a) if a job as a professional cheese taster came up, b) if Sheffield United wanted an old fat lad in goal or c) if Slipknot or Pearl Jam wanted me to replace their drummer! Sadly none of these are ever likely to happen, so I’m here to stay!

I have been in a supportive role for over 20 years. My journey began at an organisation called SOVA as a Volunteer Mentor. SOVA supported offenders and ex-offenders and those who were at risk of offending. These people were vulnerable and furthest from the job market.

 I studied at Huddersfield University where I achieved my Certificate in Education and Certificate to Teach Literacy in the Life Long Learning Sector.  My progression within SOVA lead me into a role of Tutor of Basic Skills and then onto a Case Officer where I delivered employment, training and education advice and guidance. My time at SOVA was very rewarding and I learnt and developed many skills. I was made redundant from SOVA in 2012 due to the contract funding ending.

I applied for the role of Personal Development Team Project Worker at Rush House and I have now been employed for nearly 11 years. Within my experiences at Rush House I have successfully worked on several projects which include The Talent Match Program and Tenancy Development Support and most recently I have been the Brighter Futures Project Manager for 2 years.

Rush House have been successful in achieving a further 3 years funding from The Big Lottery Reaching Communities Fund to continue to deliver our work to local people out and about in the community.

Myself and my teams have supported many people over the years to make many positive changes in their personal lives and have also achieved their goals in securing employment and gaining qualifications. 

 I am very proud of being a part of the delivery and development of the projects I have worked on over the years and I am very excited about managing the Brighter Futures Project for the next 3 years.

I am married to my kind, caring and patient husband Lee, I have 3 children and a grandson and we have a Labrador called Bounce.

I enjoy spending quality time with my family and friends in our new caravan at the coast and we look forward to doing this more in the future.

Quite a few years ago, I finished my A Levels and found myself in the Careers Office not knowing what to do. Working at Probation was suggested which I was interested in and that same day, I saw an advert for Probation volunteers at SOVA, a charity working with offenders and ex-offenders. I started volunteering at SOVA and loved it so much I stayed there for 13 years having various paid roles including teaching and managing an English and Maths programme. I’ve had other teaching and management roles within the voluntary and housing sector and prior to starting at Rush, I was providing mental health and well-being coaching and learning to people experiencing homelessness/housing issues.

I have been at Rush since Sept 2023 and can honestly say that I felt part of the team straight away. I really love that my role is varied; I can be creative, enjoy doing reports and spreadsheets (a bit sad I know!), and get to spend time with our young people. Whenever I take part in any activities with our young people, I learn from them just as much as I pass on my knowledge. My life outside of work is about spending time with my family; weekends away, getting outdoors, going to concerts, going to the gym, anything involving animals and trying new things. I am passionate about health, well-being and self-care and also collecting skulls and Dr Martens footwear!

I have worked at Rush House for 15 years…. “It may even be 16 years,” just look at the wrinkles and grey hair, “your guess”, starting as a key worker and I worked my way up to where I am today within the organisation.  I have always worked with young people, previously as a youth worker, sports instructor, Leader on the Rotherham prince’s trust development programme, and a college tutor for young people with learning difficulties at Rother Valley College. I am very passionate that Rush House clients live in an environment that is safe and suitable for them. “If our properties are not to a standard that I would be happy for my own daughter to live in then it is not good enough for our clients” 

My interests involve spending time with my family, my partner, 2 kids, 1 daughter in law, 1 son in Law, an amazing granddaughter, 2 dogs and 3 great grand-doggies, we all love paddle-boarding together, yes that includes the dogs and my 4 year old granddaughter.    I love what I do at Rush House, and I am proud to be part of our amazing team. 

I have worked in specialised supported accommodation for many many years. I have had the privilege of delivering support to various vulnerable groups, including young people.  

I eventually led a team delivering support to some of the most hard to reach tenants and developed my skills as a manager. After numerous years, and some resistance from me, I moved into senior management.

I need not have resisted, I found that with a comprehensive understanding of the sectors needs, both from an organisational and commissioning perspective, along with the genuine desire to understand the needs of clients, business development within the third sector was where I belonged.

Having steered my last employers to thrive and grow, I am determined to assist the management team here at Rush House, so that they can reach even more people in need of the unique support that Rush House offer.