The charity works with schools and the community and has helped thousands of young people by supporting them to identify and achieve their aspirations. Here she tells us about her weekends.
Do you ever have to work weekends?
Not every weekend but as we do a lot of work within the communities we often have to fit into their schedules and events. For example, we have taken part in the Chinese New Year Parade in Newcastle, with ourselves and our young leaders working eight weekends consecutively. Working with the Chinese community we learned how to do the dragon and synchronised flag dance and our young people rubbed shoulders with a different community and culture. We’ve also recently led on the Blyth Carnival with over 40 local businesses and residents involved in creating an amazing community spectacle. I never regret working at weekends as we want to be real and work where the community needs us. We are proud to be project led, working where the biggest impact and learning happens, immaterial of what day it lands on.
Are most weekends the same?
Never! I can go from lovely family weekends, to full on community events with work or just simply catching up on the cleaning and tidying! We have a busy family with our girls moving between home and university or moving into their first house, my husband building our extension over months between jobs and simply catching up with friends and families. We value time together as a family and really try to have a day and evening at least once a month where it is just us to chat and unwind together.
Do you find it hard to switch off?
Fab question and one I don’t like to admit but yes! I’m getting better at leaving my computer at work as I know I really need to look after my own welfare as well as other people’s. During the pandemic and lock-down I made an office in our summer house to try and cut between work and home but I found it really hard! The problem with working from home is understanding and making sure you have a clear cut-off time. Due to the increase in digital activity through Zoom and Teams, switching off becomes harder and we must be mindful of this. Just jumping on to a Zoom or Teams means you are back thinking about work. ‘Just one hour of chat’, isn’t just an hour, it’s the other hour thinking about actions and the work zone you have suddenly entered! I will sometimes shut everything off and just spend quality time with my family as this makes me feel so much more invigorated and ready to start the next week. There’s a lot to be said for switching off.
What do you do at a weekend which you can’t fit in through the week?
Catch up on emails (about two hours), write some evaluations as I need quiet for this and plan upcoming events. However, I will stress that I do not do this every weekend, only when relevant.
Morning exercise or a recovery lie in?
Neither! Housework (I suppose that could count as exercise the speed I run around!)
Prefer big night out or a night in the house?
Both! I love a big night out! I recently went to a black-tie event with the Rotary Club, and I even booked a hotel with breakfast. However, a night in huddled around the fire with the family could never, ever be undervalued.
Do you watch or play sport at a weekend?
No although it is on TV as the girls and their boyfriends are well into it!
Where do you like to eat out at a weekend?
I’m always up for somewhere different but not touristic. I love good food and thankfully Morpeth has an abundance of great food restaurants. Our family are big on Thai, Chinese, Indian and Turkish! However, I love to have quirky experiences too with a difference. Too many to mention here! How important is the weekend to you? We all need a circuit block! However, with me it might not necessarily be a ‘weekend’ but a space that fits with the family or what needs doing. I just think it’s important that everyone allocates a time whether weekend or not, just to have that down time. Downtime or meltdown!
Of a weekend, you’ll usually find me most happy…?
Doing something I just really want to do! That might be work as it’s a fab project or home doing my own thing, just as long as it’s something I want to do and I know why I’m doing it!