Age: 56

Family background:
Divorced; 2 children – Rebecca 34 married to Andy, with two grandchildren, Rory 8 and Martha 4 Bryn, 23 just finished University in Leeds. Both parents still alive, living 3 miles away. Significant other – Dog Lola

Work:
I am a Health Visitor, working in the community with families of children of between 0 and 5 years old to encourage and promote the Healthy Child programme and empower families to reach their potential physically, emotionally, mentally and psychologically through education, assessment and early intervention.

Reasons for interest in the project:
Initially pure curiosity as to what ‘link’ we could have to another population on the other side of the world! Then, through discussion within the group and Matthew, the deeper rooted problems within society which affect us all maybe in different ways but can cause so much of today’s problems generally, e.g. ‘Disposable’ society, breakdown of the family, welfare, charity and benevolence.

Opportunities/ideas to explore during the project:
Community: I work on a local radio station and would like to see what is regarded as community, and how it is or isn’t encouraged.

Welfare and health in the area, particularly with regard to cross-cultural understandings of post-natal depression, as well as aspects of charity and how that is viewed.

Heritage: I am proud of my family and heritage, but feel that it is very much diluted by today’s way of life and the striving for economic goals, rather than family ones.