I have met some of the Ambassadors but not all of you. As a group we respect the principles of equality and diversity and this got me thinking - how diverse are we?
So I am kicking off by giving some facts about myself in the hope that others will join in and we can then judge how diverse we really are.
Here goes - I was born in Sunderland, Country Durham which changed to Sunderland, Tyne and Wear at a later date. My parents brought me to Oxford in 1955.
I passed the eleven plus and went to Cheney School (a technical school) after point blank refusing to go to an all girl's grammar school. I took the technical course (only the second girl in the school to do this) and went on to gain 11 'O' levels.
I got engaged at 18, married at 20, had two children and was divorced at 30.
Throughout my life I have done several jobs and never really followed a career path.
My daughter has two children and now works as a nurse at the John Radcliffe.
My son has had several career changes and currently works as a service engineer.
I am now retired and live with my lovely rescue cat in the council house I have occupied for 52 years.
So you see nothing exciting - I tick a few statistical boxes (white,female,divorced, retired) so how about you? Will you reveal something of yourself so we can add to the group's diversity?
Thank you for sharing. You might consider yourself an old crock but you certainly come across as a caring person with a big heart.
I am a complete newbie as may have said in the beginning and only been to a couple of meetings.
I am Oxford born and raised on Wood Farm where parents had a Council house in Calcot Close. My parents settled in Oxford as Dad was a Supervisor for John Laing the building firm and they travelled the country with the job, I have seen photos of the huge caravan they and the family lived in. They were on Slade Park or Camp as some called it and moved into Calcot when I was around 6 months old. Being the youngest of 4 boys Dad retired and his last job was being involved in building Cowley Centre and the car park at the bottom of it. Due to the oldest 2 being settled in schools Mum and Dad decided to stay in Oxford rather than uproot them, otherwise their plan had always been to retire to North Devon and the Westward Ho! area. So that's how Oxford become home for me and the family.
I was married at 18, Julie my wife is bit older to me and is now a senior citizen, I am 54. So is 36 years next month for us or as I say 2 life sentences!! We have the 1 son, Stuart who is coming up 32. We found out when he was 9 months old of his disabilities, some physical and learning to the point we nearly lost him as the epilepsy that appeared was severe and is to the thanks of a wonderful lady Neurologist who managed to kickstart his brain pattern into some sort of pattern. I was injecting him for 6 months plus of some steroid as well as all the other stuff he was on back then. Though we planned 2 children they said oh he never walk or talk so we decided to spend our time with him. Well he walks, talks and has a great life despite all the stuff along the way.
I was a bus driver back then after having worked for an undertakers for a while beforehand. We set our life round doing the best for him and yes it has paid dividends. We have had a lot of battles and heartache through the years, but don't that go with being a parent anyway?
I moved into the health and social care sector in the end. Julie was a full time Mum to Stuart. Partly through some of the stuff we went through with Stuart is what took me into the field of work I did. I worked for Scope for some years, started on some government scheme before being took on the full time payroll and I was fortunate they invested in me with training and various courses. I become an NVQ Assessor thanks to them and ultimately was s Service Co-Ordinator for one of their small homes as well as back then being involved in the setting up of the Respite service which is still there but now managed by a different company.
I moved into the NHS, worked in the community side and adults with disabilities. I had discussed at length the idea of training as a proper nurse whilst working and this was looking a possibility (I had an interest also in working in A&E Oncology or Renal). Then my back decided to give up, it put paid to my career basically and over the last 24 years have had 7 major ops and varying smaller things done to help alleviate the pain and things. I have nerve damage that mainly affects my left leg and side. Surgeries I have decided now to avoid despite being offered more as just think I am not going to be A1 so unless I have to my back seen enough surgeons scalpels!
Now life is managing my own issues whilst also looking after my wife who as some of you have worked out is on dialysis following renal cancer a couple of years ago. I trained for some months in home dialysis and we now do this at home which is great as it works round us more so and also means she gets at times more dialysing as every other day seems the best way to work for her and her needs health wise. Also means our son who lives at home and can't be left isn't back and forth to the hospital picking Mum up from treatment so life is more settled for him and all of us.
So I am not sure what pigeon holes I fill! Maybe old crock with dodgy back and family commitments that work into full time work and more. Dog and Parrot owner too so life never dull!