I’m the financial director of this full service content marketing agency. I’m responsible for all administrative aspects of the business, including payroll, purchase ledger and invoicing.

I work with daypatients, inpatients and outpatients, based on a busy day therapy unit. I work on a one-to-one basis, or in groups of mixed abilities. I’m experienced at working with patients (and their carers and family members) of all ages, from children to the elderly. I’m also experienced at working with those with a wide range of life-limiting conditions – including dementia and other mental health conditions, motor-neurone disease, multiple sclerosis, end-stage heart failure and cancer. Many of the people I help are close to the end of their lives, and I work with them and their families in many ways – perhaps helping them with family projects, to create artwork for loved ones or helping them to complete memory boxes, so their families have ‘something left behind’ for them. I’ve helped the hospice pioneer the digital delivery of creative therapy services, which can be a challenge when you consider that many of our patients are elderly or have physically limiting conditions. This includes providing live creative therapy sessions over Microsoft Teams and filming creative therapy tutorials for patients and family members to follow. I organise and coordinate additional activities via third parties who are able to work with patients – such as musicians, poets, therapy animals, local historians and entertainers. I also provide creative therapy sessions and support for employees of the hospice, and give creative help and advice to other departments, including fundraising, catering and the inpatient unit.

I worked at ARC (Arts for Recovery in the Community), helping those with mental health conditions to benefit from engaging with the arts. I worked with people on a one-to-one basis and in groups, guiding and supporting members through a wide range of creative activities; often these led to exhibitions, which provided emotional affirmation to those contributing. I also helped with both fundraising activities and running public-facing events to help promote the charity.

I assisted the charity’s Volunteer Coordinator by engaging with, and supporting, volunteers in their many roles across the school, which provides specialist support for children and young adults with complex needs – deafness is just one of a range of each child’s disabilities. I assisted teachers, working with pupils during art classes with various art workshops, encouraging expression and communication through the arts. I also helped with fundraising activities and supported activity leaders at the charity’s public events, local school projects and mid term sports workshops.

I supported the charity’s members, who have a range of visual disabilities, using arts and crafts as a means of expression and communication. I worked both one-to-one and in groups, with people aged from their 20s through to their 90s, using arts and crafts activities which were tactile, such as sewing, painting within raised borders, mosaics, together with general knowledge quizzes and reminiscence workshops. I used the art sessions to help build confidence and develop skills in people. I also worked in an administrative capacity to promote awareness of the charity and its services.

I worked in three roles at this busy factoring division of one of the UK’s largest banks. I initially worked in a secretarial role, moving on to manage the litigation and new business teams, before joining, and becoming a team leader on a busy invoice discounting department, liaising with both clients and external partners throughout.