Fortunately, within HMRC, I have the flexibility to use my time how I wish. Alongside completion of my daily casework, I find the opportunities which provide me with good job satisfaction. I've come to terms with working till I'm nearly 70 - so how can I make these many years the most enjoyable? For me, it's taking on new challenges, looking to always learn and be challenged, taking on roles and responsibilities which give me satisfaction, and getting to continue to support others. I always make time for mentoring/conversations with others. In specific areas where I have lived experience, which I find challenging to discuss, I find these to the most satisfying pieces of work to engage in. If I can support an individual to have a better experience than I might have had when growing up/starting my career, then I feel proud to help. It's the main motivation for why I became a Teacher - I wanted the children I taught to have a more positive experience than I had. I wanted to give back, because of the few people I had around me that supported me - not everyone had these support networks that I was lucky to have, and that got me to where I am now.

Prior to joining HMRC, my proudest (not necessarily my greatest) achievement was an award I won for my contribution to community sport. Whilst at University, I organised numerous charity events, competitions and social sports sessions. One of these social sessions being social football. I created the social sport session, which grew to the largest session on campus, with over 90 people attending a single session - baring in mind, the pitches we started with only had capacity of 20. It was a challenge to quickly think on my feet and accommodate those who attended. I was always pessimistic and didn't expect it to be as popular as it became. Thanks to growing numbers, I recruited and managed other volunteers. Created a female only football session. Ran regular seasonal tournaments with prizes. This is one example of the work I took on which resulted in this award being presented to me on my graduation. At HMRC, my greatest achievement is perhaps more grounded - achieving promotion from the TSP at the first and earliest opportunity available to me. I always hated exams and was never any good at them, so joining a programme full of exams might not have been the smartest idea. But I persisted through anxiety each time exam day came around, and I successfully passed every exam first time. I subsequently passed my milestones and university work first time, leading to achieving a First Class Hons Degree alongside promotion to G7.