2018 Recipient of AMP Dare to Dream National Scholarship for My Big Moments project

I’m honoured to share the news that I am a 2018 recipient of the AMP Dare to Dream National Scholarship.

This is the latest incredible step forward in the My Big Moments project, a start-up I am co-founding with my good friend and business partner, Flicka Williams.

Of 2267 applications, we are one of 10 final recipients for the National Scholarship. It's a huge boost of confidence as well as providing vital funding to help us deliver to the highest possible standard when we launch in July 2019. We are shooting for the stars with this one!

As time goes on we’ll be able to share more detail on this special initiative. For now, we can share that we’re releasing a series of picture books, aimed at children aged 2 – 7, designed to help parents and caregivers support their little ones, as they discover how to overcome life's early challenges, changes and milestones. I have the creative pleasure in authoring these books which will be professionally produced, printed and shipped to your door.

But the best is yet to come... Watch this space...

It was an amazing night at the Scholarship Awards ceremony.  Sharing the room with so many incredible people showing huge courage and tenacity in pursuing their dreams was inspiring and humbling. All the recipients have so much to offer the world, important stories to tell, and can now get that little bit closer with the generosity of AMP and this important initiative.

Being awarded this scholarship really is a wonderful step on our journey in validating all the blood, sweat and tears spent so far and motivating us to keep the momentum going. It is one step nonetheless. Matt Strawbridge (2016 recipient) from Dyslexia Potential told me on the night (and I paraphrase); in some ways this step is as important as a step backwards when you hit a problem, or, no step at all when you seemingly can't make any progress. Each is part of the journey and it’s the culmination of all those exciting, mundane and downright frustrating steps that bring you to your project into existence. When it goes on to positively affect the lives of others, that is the real result.

Finally, bringing the trophy home was the first time my children realised my work actually meant something, rather than simply an inconvenient delay in the domestic food and beverage service. "Mum! You got a trophy!" they said. I'm going to keep it in full view so when I get in-house consumer complaints, I can point at it and tell them I'm working towards getting another one…

If you’d like to watch this space, click the link to follow My Big Moments on Facebook as our story continues.