How long have you worked at Camphill School Aberdeen?

I have worked in Camphill School Aberdeen for the past 8 years.

What brought you to Camphill School Aberdeen?

I started my Camphill Journey when I was 20 and went to Camphill Beaver Run- A Camphill in Pennsylvania USA. I arrived as a one-year volunteer however fell in love with the Camphill Ethos and community living and decided to stay after my year and complete the degree programme in Curative education. I stayed there for seven years but wanted to come back to my roots and came back to Scotland - I wanted however to continue working for Camphill and joined Camphill School Aberdeen as a house coordinator in St Andrews house. I now run Cherrywood house and live onsite with my Partner who runs the Garden and our 6-month-old little boy Jaxon.

What is your role at Camphill School Aberdeen?

I am one of the senior house coordinators and I work alongside the head of care, Gill, to look at the overall area of care within the residential settings as well as running one of the residential houses - Cherrywood. 

Are there any key highlights that stand out for you during your time at Camphill School Aberdeen so far?

There have been so many highlights over my time here that it is hard to pick! One of the things that I love about Camphill - that I feel sets us aside from other care providers - is the sense of community. In particular, the celebrations and festivals are such an integral part of the year which allows the community to come together. For lots of our students, it can be difficult to have an understanding of time and the marking of festivals throughout the year can really help to mark time in the yearly rhythm. I feel that the students are such a highlight and it's an honour to see them take steps in their learning and skills, and being able to be a part of helping them reach their potential is really amazing. 

How much of a difference will the capital appeal campaign when complete make to students and their families at Camphill School Aberdeen?

The capital appeal will make such a difference to the students and their families, to have more accommodation would really allow us to take in and help more young people and give them a sense of belonging.