As I was raised by my grandparents, my Fellowship journey was a personal one. I travelled to eight US states in six weeks, meeting kinship care families like mine and professionals who work in the field. I blogged about our stories, was interviewed by Aasmah Mir for a Radio 4 documentary, and was honoured to be the keynote speaker at the launch of Kinship Care Northern Ireland. Kinship Care NI was founded by another Fellow, Jacqueline Williamson. I also pay my respects to Fellow Jean Stogdon OBE who founded the charity Grandparents Plus (now called Kinship) – I had the privilege of meeting her during my Fellowship.

The Fellowship changed my life. It enriched my understanding of families like mine. I changed career at age 50 to become an artist. This happened in part because of the confidence the Fellowship gave me. My first commission as an artist is a project called Nan Kids (a phrase coined by Russell Brand, who was raised at points by both his grandmothers), in which I make the hidden stories of our experiences heard through sound installations, a radio programme and podcasts in London and Ipswich for Kinship Care Week.