Having grown up in Portsmouth, I moved back to Hampshire in 2007, and live in Liphook. I have a niece at Petersfield Infant School, and a nephew who has now moved on to Herne Junior School. After studying languages at university, I started my professional life working for youth charities, before moving into the public sector. For many years, I worked at the Department for Education (DfE), where I was involved with a wide range of policy areas – from early years and childcare to the English curriculum. Lately, I have focused on corporate services: I was the Board Secretary at the DfE and am now responsible for governance and risk at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. I love to travel, and recently crossed China, Mongolia and Russia on the trans-Siberian railway. When I’m at home I enjoy long distance walking, yoga and cooking.