I was born in Hull in 1950. Having graduated in English at Leeds University, I worked for Newcastle upon Tyne City Libraries for 20 years, where I wrote articles for professional journals as well as giving talks to national conferences and seminars around the country. I then moved into liaison work between councillors, voluntary agencies and the community for various local authorities in the north-east of England until I retired in 2007. My work included writing a revised submission for Newcastle’s New Deal for Communities’ to Central Government which received £50 million funding, and leading a community involvement exercise which led to the establishment of the Sunderland Arc Urban Regeneration Company. As Partnership Manager at South Tyneside, I managed 40 staff in area working, community safety and health and drug action issues within the Borough Council, which was recognized in it achieving its first national Beacon status for neighbourhood working. As a visiting lecturer at the University of Northumbria, I gave talks on health and regeneration, partnership working and community engagement.
