Hi, my name is Naomi and I am the new Play Coordinator and Play Resource Officer for bOunceT.
I grew up as a young carer for several family members with learning disabilities and knew that I wanted a career that helped people. However, I also had a creative side to me and wanted to explore this. I studied for a degree in fashion and business and went on to have a career working in costume departments for film, TV and theatre. One of my favourite jobs was working on the opening and closing ceremonies of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. I felt so proud to be part of an event that shone such a positive light on Glasgow and Scotland.
I also love to travel and throughout my time as a freelance costume assistant I set myself the challenge of visiting 30 different countries before I turned 30. I have been to 31 countries so far, including 6 month round the world trip and a 2 week trek walking the Great Wall of China for the charity Sue Ryder. I feel so fortunate to have had these experiences and have loved learning about different cultures.
However, throughout all these adventures I still felt a longing to work with people with learning disabilities. After some research, I decided to take the leap and apply for a place on the HNC in Occupational Therapy Support course to see if this could be the career for me. Within the first month of studying occupational therapy, I was hooked! The ethos of the profession and the variety of ways occupational therapy can be used to enable people achieve their goals aligns with my personal values and experiences of caring for people. I was very lucky to get a place on the master’s course at GCU to continue my studies towards becoming an occupational therapist. My first placement for this course was at bOunceT and I loved it so much that I knew I wanted to return as a full-time member of the team. I love being able to work with lots of families in a fun and inclusive environment. From my first placement until now I have seen so much growth in both the business and in the confidence of service users; I am excited to be part of this journey with bOunceT and all the families that access the service.
