I am a registered social worker and a lecturer in social work at Lancaster University. In 2017 my son and I survived the Manchester arena terrorist attack and through our own attempts to access support services, it was evident that the UK was not prepared for an incident which targeted young people and left so many adolescents traumatised. The services offered lacked consistency. While there were examples of excellent practice, many were left feeling alone, unsupported and seeking help from professionals who were not adequately trained. In response to this, I founded my own peer support group for young survivors and became passionate about advocating for and developing consistent and research-informed support services for adolescents.

My Fellowship will take me to Israel and Norway, to observe and meet with organisations who have supported young people affected by terrorism. I hope to use what I learn to work together with disaster response organisations to recognise the specific needs for adolescents and to plan for targeted responses for them.