Julie Lee
I had a fulfilling career in the Home Office for 25 years but felt that the time was right to restore balance to my life by taking early retirement.
I loved almost all of the varied roles that I held, all relating in one way or another to learning and development. The best part of my career was working with others to bring about positive change. A good example of this was when I became the Strategic Lead for the Department I worked for to introduce Vocational training and qualifications.
Over a three year period, the unit I led was responsible for arranging Vocational qualifications for over 300 members of staff. This provided lots of scope for individuals to develop not only their confidence but also gain valuable qualifications and for the department to be able to measure improvements in efficiency and productivity.
I have a strong sense of fairness and have always been interested in challenging the way things are done to make them better. I want to harness this and my professional career to work with other Sight loss volunteers who want to improve the quality of life for people like me, who want to live full, varied and rewarding lives by removing barriers and shining a light on inequality.
Since leaving work I have moved house, taken up Yoga and have also volunteered at a local charity for the Visually Impaired.
An interesting fact about me – I have completed the London to Brighton Cycle Marathon twice, the second time on a tandem.