Melanie Johnston

Location: Stuartfield, Aberdeenshire

Role: Community Learning and Development Worker

I live in Stuartfield, which is a small rural village in North Aberdeenshire. I enjoy spending time with my 11-year-old daughter and other family and friends. We enjoy card games, board games and going on outings to local parks and activity centres. I am an avid Aberdeen Football Club fan and go to as many games as I can. I also support Scotland Football Club. I work as a Community Learning and Development Worker (Adult Learning) in Aberdeenshire Council, North Aberdeenshire (Buchan), supporting learning opportunities for adults and families.

In my own community, I help learners by providing group and one to one sessions, supporting literacy such as reading, writing and digital skills. I am passionate about what I do and seeing the impact it can have on individuals and communities, seeing them grow, share ideas, gain accreditation and build confidence.

As part of this professional learning exchange, I hope to learn new approaches to community engagement, gain insight into inclusive practices and share successful strategies and resources with colleagues.

My dream for this experience is to expand my professional network and connect with others who share a passion for community learning, grow as a reflective practitioner by learning from diverse perspectives and experiences, and contribute to positive change by sharing ideas that make learning more accessible and inclusive.