I am delighted to join Mindjam as a mentor as I truly believe gaming is such a positive way to connect with others and bring out the best in them. This is such a brilliant project which I am really lucky and thrilled to be a part of.

I have lots of experience working in  a school environment where I have supported neurodivergent young  people take part in various groups, clubs, events and activities. This has included teaching, social and emotional support, running theatre groups, sports clubs, extra curricular activities as well as supporting charities. Throughout my time working in schools I have always created a positive environment for young people to thrive in, express themselves and develop into the best they can be. I believe this can be achieved by pursuing what we enjoy most in life and connecting with others along the way. This is exactly what Mindjam was built for and is such a great way to learn and develop through positive play.

I have extensive experience and training in supporting neurodivergent young people as well as safeguarding experience. I am also fully DBS checked and have achieved certificates in safeguarding, mental health, Supporting PDA, ADHD, OCD, Autism, anxiety and depression. I also have a diploma in counselling skills and truly understand what it takes to listen effectively as well as support another emotionally.

I have played video games my whole life through all the PlayStation as well as Nintendo consoles where I have found it has helped me overcome mental health obstacles and has allowed me to connect and talk with others. I have so many great memories of playing multiplayer games such as Halo, Diablo, Fifa, Call of duty and Fortnite with my brothers and friends and have always found it to be a great resource to deal with the stresses of life. Video games provide a new world to get lost in and there’s nothing better than beating a game with your friends and family there for the ride to support you as well. I have experienced the benefits of helping others through playing multiplayer where playing games such as Minecraft, Fortnite and Mario kart with my younger brother whilst chatting about life has done wonders for our mental health and wellbeing. 

I have experience overcoming an anxiety disorder and wish to share the knowledge I have gained with as many people as possible. I believe we can all overcome the obstacles that come up in life when provided with the right tools, tips, strategies and advice to head in the right direction. As a younger person I really struggled socially but have managed to educate myself on how to develop friendships and connections in life, I wish to share this crucial knowledge with others as well.

Every young person’s emotional needs are different and I tailor my support whilst creating a safe, comfortable and positive environment for young people to thrive and be themselves without any judgement. I have a calm, polite, kind and respectful approach to everybody I meet in life and these are attributes I bring with me to every session and through pro social modelling have seen the positive effect my approach can have on others.

In my spare time I like to play and watch football whilst supporting Arsenal. I also play badminton and  table tennis. I like to go on long bike rides in the woods as well as run in nature. Whilst out and about I really enjoy taking photographs of the outdoors and then editing these photos on my PC at home. I also very much enjoy creating comics and short graphic novels where I have many influences from marvel, DC and also love the Simpsons comics. I pursue digital art in my spare time which is mainly related to video games as well as comic creating. I also listen to a lot of music and play digital guitar as well as keys and enjoy making music on garageband. I enjoy watching animated films, making YouTube videos and learning new digital skills such as games programming and coding.