I started my first career as a fashion designer and tutor at Medway Art College having learned my craft there. At the same time, I was, as part of a Christian volunteer group, supporting homeless people on the streets of London. It was during this voluntary work that one of the group, Godfrey Featherstone, learned about a house in the depths of Kent where homeless people were offered a home. Having found the house, Kenward House, one Sunday afternoon in about 1970, my life with Kenward Trust began.

I began as a casual occasional volunteer mainly doing gardening as the need and my time permitted. My life was changing. I was married and was growing a family who accompanied me when they were just babies. In 1978 I was volunteering on a regular weekly basis one day a week, reupholstering furniture, making and hanging curtains and blinds in projects across the Trust in Kenward House, Highgate Hall, Upper Frant Road and London. In a couple of years one day a week had increased to three days a week. Now I was involved with cooking the dinner at Kenward House and Administration tasks like writing cheques and running the payroll.

After I stared working full time, I was asked by Mr Sinden (the founder) to be the Trust Administrator. Shortly after this I was promoted to Deputy Director a role I held until 2009. At the same time, I completed a BA hon in Psychology and a Diploma in Counselling. Kenward moved from ad hoc Keyworking to formal counselling and structured programmes of recovery from Addictions. I wrote most and monitored all the recovery programmes in the full range of projects, now including Day programmes and Grey Zebra Youth project, and the single sex project for women which I started in 1992. We offered placements to student counsellors who I supervised. I was presented with the High Sheriff’s Award for my work with women in 2001 and a Lifetime Award from Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe in 2009.

Also, during my time as Deputy Director and Head of Therapy I travelled to Korea, invited by the South Korean government, to talk about addiction recovery. I headed and managed many European partnerships which enabled both staff and residents to visit similar project across Europe, many residents had not held a passport most had not been on a plane. A Framework for Inclusion document I wrote remains in use across Europe. Just some of the experience I had on my journey with Kenward Trust.

I continued with my private practice of counselling and supervision of counsellors until mid-2022 when I retired. My involvement and interest in Kenward Trust have persisted for fifty five years.