I was born in Rottenrow, Glasgow in the Seventies and brought up with my two big brothers by mum in the Woodlands area of the city. After high school at Notre Dame I went to Aberdeen University to study Pharmacology, gaining a Masters from Marischal College and journal publication under the stewardship of Prof Roger Pertwee. I worked in the pharmaceutical industry in 1998 and developing key accounts in urology and psychiatry for 5 enjoyable years before a heady combination of a growing business dream/urge and redundancy collided and I launched Afra Catering with a good friend.
My stint in hospitality was cut short by the unexpected arrival of our first child. I had to pause and make some choices (again) about my professional life and my attention turned to the voluntary sector. For my 18 years since I’ve worked across the fields of sensory impairment, cancer, race equality and community engagement – delivering on strategic and grassroots programmes that have challenged/addressed health inequity, developed community activism and driven campaigning milestones – locally and nationally. I’ve enjoyed successes in the sight loss sector, supporting integration networks and delivering meaningful engagement outcomes across communities (geographical/of interest).
At the ALLIANCE I support our Digital Citizen Panel in it’s role contributing to the Scottish Government Digital Health and Social Care strategy. I’m growing the Panel and co-creating opportunities with them to influence the Scottish digital health and care landscape, ensuring their voices – of people living with a disability, long term condition or are an unpaid carer – are shaping the progress digital health options.
Our other fundamental commitment to those we serve is stating, defining and upholding digital human rights principles. In Scotland, this offers some exciting opportunities for a valued human rights consideration to digital health.
In my spare time I’m a keen cook, writer, reader and guitar player – all varying in degree of skill but offering escape in equal measure. I love outdoors and keep a small garden which I’m hoping to help feed me in the some nice legumes in time.
