Elaine Strachan

Location: Laurencekirk, South Aberdeenshire

Role: Community Learning and Development Worker

I live in a small town in South Aberdeenshire and enjoy spending time with my family. I live with my husband and my thirteen-year-old daughter, who keeps me busy. I also have a 29-year-old son who lives in Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, which is a lovely place to visit.

I like going to the gym and enjoy working out regularly, which helps keep me fit and healthy. I love being part of the gym community, where we encourage and support each other. In addition, I enjoy attempting arts and crafts projects—some are more successful than others! I have taught myself to bake sourdough bread and enjoy cooking too.

I work as a Community Learning and Development Worker in the Adult Learning and Communities Team within Aberdeenshire Council, supporting learning opportunities for people of all ages. My work focuses on adult learning, and I work with people on a one-to-one basis and in small groups, depending on their individual needs.

In my own community, I help learners by supporting literacy learning, which includes communication skills and, increasingly, ICT skills, as people are finding they need these skills to gain employment and manage everyday life. I also encourage learners to gain qualifications that recognise their skills and reward them for their hard work. I am passionate about seeing people progress in their learning and achieve more than they thought possible.