‘I FOUND A NEW SENSE OF PURPOSE’

RACHEL SIMPSON, 51, LIVES NEAR SEVENOAKS, KENT, WITH HER HUSBAND, AND HAS TWO CHILDREN. RACHEL WAS IN W&H IN 2014 TALKING ABOUT HER REDUNDANCY.

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT… When I took redundancy six years ago from my job as a manager with the regional tourist board, I felt totally lost. It was like my world had come crashing down. It took time to find myself again and I talked about this when I appeared in w&h in 2014. By then things were slowly looking up. I had started a glamping business and was also pursuing a passion of mine – dressage. But the effect of my redundancy still reverberated.

AT THE PHOTO SHOOT, I met another reader who had an utterly different kind of trauma in her life. Her name was Maggie Hughes and she told me her son was horrifically assaulted while on holiday abroad. He’d been left brain damaged, and she’d since been campaigning to change the laws around caring for people in hospital abroad. It was such a huge battle for her.

I walked away from that meeting feeling like I’d been given a new sense of purpose. I thought, why waste time feeling down about redundancy when others are going through so much?

It changed my mindset and I resolved to appreciate every day. Now, I can view my redundancy as a catalyst that allowed me to set up a flexible business that I can run from home. I use my extra time to promote my local farmers’ market, and to set up a not-for-profit equestrian training group, helping people further their dressage training. Because of Maggie, I realised that it was time for me to give back and help others in any way I could.

I’d like to say thank you to her, for how her experience has inspired me to live a more positive life. And I only hope that things have got better for her – she’s a truly remarkable lady.

MAGGIE SAYS I’ve met so many inspiring people myself while campaigning, so if I’ve inspired Rachel with my story, then all the better. When my son Robert was severely injured and left brain damaged in Greece in 2008, we had such a difficult time – from not being able to communicate properly with Greek doctors to running up expensive bills. But there was no one there to provide support for us. I knew I had to get something positive out of this horrible experience, so I started campaigning for support for victims of crime abroad, and their families.

Since my 2014 feature, there has been progress, improving victims’ rights abroad, but there’s still a lot more to do.