I knew that faith was important to those living at Leonora. I always want people to do the things they enjoy so I was always encouraging them to go to devotions and prayer meetings. When Songs of Praise was on, I’d sit and watch it too.

When Middlefields House opened in 2021, I came and joined the team officially as Care Lead. By then, I knew lots of the ‘family members’ [as we call those who live with us] and had lots of chats with them about their faith.

I’ve always been a very curious person. One day I was talking to a lady called Meryl. I asked her, “Why do I need to pick a religion?” She looked at me and said, “What you need to do is work out your relationship with Him.” That really made me think.

There was an Alpha course for staff at Middlefields House and I tried to do it twice. Both times something came up which meant I couldn’t complete it. Eventually I asked my colleague Nathan, who used to be Hospitality Manager here, if I could come with him to church. I loved it and I’ve been going ever since.

I got baptised in October. During the service I told the story of my conversation with Meryl and the impact it had on me. I’ve always been an optimistic person and now that I have faith that’s the case even more. I don’t feel lonely because I know that I can always talk to God – and I love to talk!

When the job of Coffee Shop Manager came up, I had a little pray about it. I was happy in my role as a carer but there was this desire in me to use my catering knowledge. I prayed about it and said, “Whatever you want Lord” and then He opened the door.

I love working in the coffee shop. We’re often busy and we have lots of regulars who come in. I want it to be a place that feels open, warm and welcoming to the whole community. In modern life, everything is such a rush. I want this to be a place where people can just be. I bring my skills as a carer to my role as manager, relating to each customer or colleague as an individual.

Being inclusive is important to me. At Middlefields House we work with Wiltshire Council’s SEND Employer Champions scheme. Students with a special educational need come to us on placement and this has led to some of them gaining employment. Hannah, who works in the coffee shop 12 hours a week, came to us through this scheme. I also do mock interviews for students to help them gain experience.

As well as students on placement, we have volunteers doing their Duke of Edinburgh Award. They do things like greeting customers and serving food. I know how difficult it can be for young people to find volunteering opportunities so I’m more than happy to help. It’s so important for developing life skills.

I’m pleased to say that the coffee shop is thriving. It’s so popular that sometimes it’s a good idea to book a table ahead. I’m always thinking of ways we can innovative. For example, staff from the nearby doctors’ surgery are regular customers so I’ve made an arrangement with them where they can order ahead. We’ve also started to host events out of hours.

I do miss seeing the family members. I get round this by going to visit regularly! I have my ladies in Household 1 that I go and see. They’ll give me a hug and a kiss and if it’s been a few days they’ll say, “Where have you been?”