When did you start work at the hospice?
April 1, 2008.

How long have you worked for Marie Curie Cancer Care?
10 years.

How did you get involved with palliative care?
When I was doing my nursing training I worked in different environments including a hospice.

I found palliative health care challenging and interesting so went on to do a post graduate course in palliative care.
Following that I went on to work for Marie Curie.

How long have you been in nursing?
Over 30 years.

What was your first role with the charity?
I worked as a nursing team manager and then became senior manager for Scotland. I ended up managing over 500 nurses and nursing team managers.
It was a big service to manage and the job got so big that I was never at home.

My first grandchild was born in January 2007 and I decided I wanted to spend more time with my family. This job doesn't involve as much travel.

How are you finding your new role?
It's a completely different job role for me so it has taken me a while to find my feet. It is a challenging post, but I am enjoying it.

What does the job entail?
There are two sides to the job – managing the hospice and developing services, and project managing for moving into the new hospice.

A lot of the work is looking at how we deliver services and redesigning the way we work. We are looking at how we do our outreach services and day services because they will change with the move as well.

It is exciting because I love service development and change which makes life better for patients.

What is the best bit about the job?
Being able to work with the staff and patients.

To know that the smallest change can make things better for patients and carers is very satisfying. It a very humbling experience to work with the patients here, they are such an inspiration.

How is the Big Build Appeal going?
We need £16.1million and we have just over £11million. We are due to move into the new building in January 2010. We are working hard on fundraising for the rest of the money.

Have you always worked in nursing?
Before nursing, I worked as a student teacher, in shops and restaurants, and I have been a whisky distiller. I also worked as a hospital cleaner.

Do you have any hobbies?
I am a ballroom dancing fanatic. In another life I would have loved to have been a professional ballroom dancer. The glamour of it is fantastic.

I used to have two golden retrievers and entered them into dog shows, which was good fun.

I have a motorbike licence and my husband and I have a Silverwing Honda scooter which we travel around on.

We are National Trust fanatics so we stop at all the castles and monuments on the way.

What are you most proud of?
Personally, having three lovely children who are doing well in life. Professionally, I feel I have achieved a lot and have a job I enjoy.

First car: Mini
First record: an Elvis single
Favourite TV programme: Strictly Come Dancing
Book currently reading: fan of Ian Rankin Rebus novels
Favourite holiday destination: Anywhere - I like to travel new places
Famous person would like to have met: Martin Luther King