Each issue we profile somebody from Sheffield Mencap and Gateway, to find out more about what makes it such a varied and special place. This autumn we get to know Jennifer, our new Activity and Learning Hub Manager.

Tell us about your role at Sheffield Mencap and Gateway (SMG)

I started at Sheffield Mencap and Gateway in March this year as a service manager for the Activity and Learning HUb (ALH)

Before then, I spent 20 years working in primary schools. I got to the point where I wanted to do something that was different but just as important and still helping people and then I found this role

What have you gained through working at SMG?

Loads! Obviously it’s very different to my previous work so I have had lots to learn (and I am still learning).

I’ve made some good friends here at SMG – all the staff have been very welcome and patient while I’ve learnt the ropes.

The special bit about SMG though are the members. Every day, the members make you smile! They always have a great story to tell you, or something that has happened to them. It’s impossible to be in a bad mood when you work here!

What are your goals for the next year at SMG?

Over the next year, I just want to keep all the fab work that everyone does going. The staff that work on ALH do such a great job at getting the best out of our members and I want to keep helping them to do that.

Tell us your favourite story or memory from SMG?

My favourite memory so far has been really tricky to pick but is probably from the last week before the Summer Sessions. It was the first time I’d experienced presentation week and all the members got their certificates and medals. It was lovely to see how proud they all were of themselves and the karaoke that followed some of the presentations was something else!

How do you balance work and life – what do you do to relax

I like to spend time with my family; my husband and two boys, so we like to go to the cinema, go on bike rides, go on holidays. My favourite holiday was Disney World in America 3 years ago (pictured). It was somewhere I had always wanted to go and it was brilliant to go as a family. We made some amazing memories and loved every minute of it. As a family we like to go to theme parks and we have already been to Alton Towers 4 times this year.

When I’m on my own, I like watching TV. My favourite TV programmes are Grey’s anatomy, Desperate housewives and Waterloo Road.

And finally, tell us something about yourself that people at SMG may not know…

After having children, I became a bit of a keen runner and have run about ten 10km races and four half-marathons. I keep all the medals hung up in my bedroom to try and inspire me to do it again (it hasn’t worked yet though!)