A hugely popular team member at:- Partou Little Oaks Day Nursery and Pre-school in Accrington is taking on a tough physical challenge to raise money for a charity that supports people affected by pregnancy and baby loss.

Melissa Morton, Baby Room Team Leader at the Nursery located in the heart of the Town, had a miscarriage in June 2024.

Melissa said:- "I found out I was pregnant on the 25 of June, and it was the best feeling ever! Not even a week later I started bleeding, went to the Hospital for scans and tests and was told I'm having an ectopic pregnancy. Not a day goes by that I don't think of what it would be like now to have my baby in my arms.”

Melissa has pledged to walk 200,000 metres over the course of March to secure funds for Sands, which helps anyone impacted by the death of a baby before, during or shortly after birth.

Melissa added:- "I'm raising as much money as I can for this amazing charity to help support all the grieving parents and families who have sadly experienced the loss of a pregnancy or death of a baby. I am also doing it for every much-loved baby sadly not here today. My wonderful team at Little Oaks have already donated and I am making good progress towards completing the 200,00 metre distance, which is around 124 miles. Sands ensures that everyone affected by the loss of a baby gets the support they need and deserve when facing the toughest of times. They campaign for change, provide training for midwives and healthcare professionals, and support research so that fewer babies die and less families experience the tragedy of losing their baby. Any money anyone is able to donate means so much.”

Melissa's efforts have been given a major boost by Partou; which operates 106 nurseries across the UK, including:- Little Oaks; after the company decided to match the funds she raises through her walk.

Samantha Rhodes, Partou Managing Director, said:- "We are incredibly proud of what Melissa is doing and why she is doing it. Partou is fully behind her remarkable efforts and are pleased to support her challenge by doubling the final amount raised. We wish Melissa every success as she gets ever closer to the finish line.”

Donations to Melissa's fundraising challenge can be made via THIS LINK or by logging on to:- FundRaising.Sands.Org.UK, and entering:- "Melissa Morton.”

SERGEANT Karen Pittendrigh of Merseyside Police discovered her neurodivergence at the age of 48, following a workplace assessment which highlighted dyslexia. During Neurodiversity Celebration Week Karen recently told us about some of the challenges she's overcome, the importance of representation, and how her assessment helped her take on the sergeant promotion process; crediting Police Now's Frontline Leadership Programme for providing essential support and driving diversity in senior ranks.

Sergeant Karen Pittendrigh:- "I joined policing when I was 30, and I found out I had dyslexia in my late 40s. Although the assessment wasn't classed as a diagnosis it opened the opportunity for reasonable adjustments, which was just what I needed to help me further my career. It helped me to understand more about myself and how to manage and overcome some of the challenges I've faced as a neurodiverse officer. I commenced on a journey of self-discovery and expanded my knowledge of neurodiversity. Generally speaking, being neurodiverse means your brain thinks and works differently to what is considered neurotypical. This can make some things more challenging, but it can also come with strengths and benefits. For example, I have always been very methodical with my note taking and write everything down as a response to managing my slow processing speed and poor memory (a trait of my dyslexia); this is time-consuming but means my policing notes are always thorough and reliable. 1 of my biggest challenges was self doubt and being very openly self-critical, something I am still guilty of to this day. For many years I thought I was just:- 'a bit slow' at completing tasks and that I wasn't as smart as others, which isn't the case. I am also of the era where the term dyslexia wasn't commonly used (or diagnosed). Even when I spoke to my mum about it a couple of years ago, following my assessment, the response was:- 'you can't be dyslexic, you can read and write. Before my dyslexia assessment, I had attempted the sergeants' exam 3 times but always just missed the mark and put it down to me simply not being good enough. On my fourth and final attempt at the exam before being successfully promoted, I was given extra time as a reasonable adjustment to account for my dyslexia. This small adjustment made such a big difference. It is important to remember that you don't have to have a formal diagnosis to be eligible for a workplace assessment or reasonable adjustments. I was promoted to sergeant rank in January this year, following a period of acting duties and successfully passing this application and promotion board. This means I am now in a stronger position to influence change, and support and represent other neurodiverse officers in my team. I have also linked in with the force's neurodiversity team to provide feedback and insights, with the aim of better informing our collective understanding of neurodiverse officers' experiences and how to support them with getting an official assessment and/or diagnosis. I completed Police Now's Frontline Leadership Programme (FLP) before being promoted; a part-time course which supports constables to develop as leaders and navigate the promotion process. The programme pays particular attention to the barriers that often prevent talented officers from achieving or even being considered for promotion, helping to bring in that essential diversity to senior ranks and support underrepresented groups. We know that diversity; including:- diversity of thought; is essential to building strong and effective teams and driving creativity and innovation, which is so important for policing to get right. We represent a hugely diverse public, and we need to reflect that in our workforce. Being neurodiverse can mean a lot of different things; everyone's experiences will differ and there is still so much we are learning about what being neurodiverse really means. Since learning about my dyslexia and other types of neurodiversity I am currently in the process of undergoing an assessment for ADHD. The FLP allowed me to feel more accepted, to learn from officers nationally who are also neurodiverse, and to surround myself with others who are trying to better themselves. Representation and networking in policing is so important for these reasons and helps you learn how to be the best version of yourself. I am still learning what works for me and what doesn't and to recognise where my neurodiversity allows me to think differently to others and bring new perspectives or ways of working to my team. I hope I can now be this role model for my colleagues as I continue to learn more about myself and support those around me.”