I knew I wanted to do four things when I retired.

So one of those was that I did want to carry on doing some work, and that was largely about status if I’m honest. I had a job that did have high status, with the stuff that came with the job but also in the way that I worked. Interactions that I had with people in Leeds - I am pretty well-known. I could go anywhere and know someone. I Didn’t wanna entirely lose that, and getting paid for the odd bit of work doesn’t do any harm when you get a bit older. When you’ve got a good pension it still helps to pay to go on holiday.

And the second thing was I knew I wanted to give something back. I knew I had some skills to offer, and wanted to both volunteer and be some sort of trustee.

Thirdly, I wanted to do with some sort of activism and campaigning. Sure I had some time for that.

And then the first fourth bit was to enjoy a good social life which I do.

At first it wasn’t quite what I had planned because it was all during Covid. My actual big retirement do itself got cancelled . Because it was during the mega lockdown, so I actually stayed on at work beyond my retirement for four or five months just to do some work on Covid.

The things about where I am now are good, as I think I’ve got the balance really well generally.

My Passions at work towards the the end of my career were around community development, something called ABCD , asset based community development, with an organisation called nurture development. I was delivering training at a strategic level particularly for organisations.

I’m beginning to drop back now because I’ve now been out of that scene for a couple of years and I don’t want to be referring back to the past or Making contributions based on all knowledge because the world moves on, -I can’t live off "I used to be the deputy director of health and care in Leeds." forever.

I’m doing a few other bits and pieces as well, but if you add it all up it’s only a few days a week. Sometimes people bump into me and say you’re really busy, you’re supposed to be retired -but really it’s nothing. I used to work Easily 50 or 60 hours a week , and not in a terrible way, I loved it because I was making a difference. Now it’s just a couple of bits, it’s on a much lower level.

I've ended up being a trustee with PAFRAS and that came about because when I retired I knew I’d get a good collection. Wanted to make that as a gift to PAFRAS .I think it was 2.5 K.

Then the PAFRAS manager contacted me saying are just looking at expanding our board of trustees- you want to be on it?

I have a passion for the rights of people seeking asylum. But I use my skills to do stuff like help write policies and staff salary reviews,

I do a bit of in person volunteering with the PAFRAS on Wednesday morning when it has a drop in for asylum seekers. so I generally have the role of sitting on the front desk and taking peoples basic details and being welcoming, I don’t do any of the serious stuff.

Gives you a boost every week , but there’s the horror of people waiting every week for basic support because of our inhospitable evil climate with the government who just keep on making things worse and worse . but then you do balance that with the passion you see in how people support each other

I been involved in activist stuff I have always been involved in activist stuff