“You and I know that making bad choices doesn’t make you a bad person.”
I am the proud founder of the charity, Next Chapter Scotland, which supports people to navigate the stigma and discrimination they can face as a result of involvement with the criminal justice system.
I have a criminal record myself and I am a strong advocate for lived experience leadership and involvement.
I am mum to two spectacular children and I live in the South West of Scotland with my husband and family.
“When I was battling with the indecision of how to speak to my (then 2 year old) daughter about my past, my parents asked me what I was scared of. The answer: that it would damage my relationship with her. That she would look at me differently.
Wisely, they assured me that the strength of the love between me and my daughter was such that no story from my past could damage it. What was important, though, was that the story came directly from me, no matter how hard it might be to find the words.
My hope, therefore, is that this book, in some way, helps you to find the words to share your story with the children you love and who love you more than all of the ice cream in all of the world!”