Meet Influential Woman - Emma Millar

Emma Millar is a Community Development Officer for 3VA .

3VA represents the voice of the community across Eastbourne, Lewes, and Wealden, with a focus on voluntary action.

My Student Life caught up with Emma, who as an influential woman not only works in and represents our local community but also has an interesting and inspiring life.

In her blog she outlines how she went from being a lone parent, to working in events management, and even bungee jumping.

Emma’s story:

It's an exciting opportunity to be asked to write about your career and life. I hope, from this you get some inspiration to try new things and say YES to opportunities that come along in your life!

I left school not knowing what my future was. Growing up in Brighton as a teen in the 90s it seemed there were so many opportunities. I sang, danced, and played the flute.

I once read an amazing quote which stuck in my head, “say yes to everything, work out how to do it after” But when every opportunity is new, I worked out it’s about knowing yourself and having the transferable skills to succeed!

This, along with the drive I saw in other strong women made me make a promise to myself, to never look back with a ‘should, would, could or a what if’ in my mind! So with an unconventional upbringing and unconventional mindset, off I went into the big wide world.

I was 20 when I fell pregnant with my son, in that moment I knew I needed to up my academic background as times were changing. I applied for an access course and resat my maths GCSE, did it in the year and had my son halfway through then was offered a place at Sussex University to read psychology. One of my tutors even asked if she could use me as an example to other young mums wanting to develop their education as she thought I’d give up halfway when my son was born.

Getting to university wasn’t easy as I had a fight for childcare payments while I studied. In a new labour government with a new deal for parents / lone mums, I took my case to my local MP, so other women could have the same opportunities I'd created for myself but without the battles over childcare. It worked and I received childcare support while in education, as well as for other women and mums attempting the same as me!

After I passed my degree, I was asked to return to help my professor with a study, which was great experience. I also started volunteering at The Friend’s Centre (an educational charity in Brighton), as a teaching assistant and offered to teach maths. From the girl who'd got an F GCSE the first time 8 years previously to understanding my own difficulties, passing my resits, and enjoying stats, I was able to teach a class of adults with learning disabilities and brain injuries, in a job I excelled at.

At the same time as teaching I started working for the children’s charity, Rockinghorse, and began managing their challenge events programme. I started developing fun events, planning and managing them but also taking part to raise huge amounts for charity as part of an amazing team.

My first big event was a bungee jump on the beach in Hove, which became so popular over its first year that by the second year Channel 5 got in touch to film and follow me around for a week, with me doing a crazy fancy dress bungee jump as Alice in Wonderland.

This was the start of my fundraising career and I became a fundraiser mainly within the charitable sector. Since that first bungee jump and entry into charity work I've taken part in pretty much every challenge event I've worked on and more; 8 bungee jumps, 1 skydive (with Pete Bennett the Brighton Big Brother winner), every kind of run from mud, colour, 5k-marathon, marathons pushing a wheelchair x2 (as the lad in the wheelchair wanted to feel what it was like to run), Olympic bobsleigh run (120 miles an hour down an ice shaft), 1st place women in an aquathon, 1 triathlon on a 3 speed vintage bike, London to Paris cycle and numerous other 'just because, I can' events.

In my charity jobs over the last 20 years I've worked across the UK in different roles working for all types of non-profit organisations from grass root start-ups to national charities. These days I have relocated from Brighton and I am working for 3VA as Eastbourne’s Community Development Officer, helping local groups and charities with all things fundraising and volunteering, including training, policies, and procedures.

My love of all things creative, music, singing and dancing has always been my interest and I enjoy singing with Vocalize and now run a weekly Zumba class in Eastbourne.

So, lets go back to that quote! I've said yes to work opportunities, said yes to challenges, said yes to me (even through it’s been tough at times) and owned every decision, because that's what makes life worth living!

Life isn't planned, life is what you make it.

Listen, be true to you, be brave, stand tall, if no-one stands with you remember my words.... you got this, you have the power, love yourself and all you have.

Surround yourself with cheerleaders, don’t sweat the small stuff, smile, beat your own demons and the voices of doubt others may plant a seed of.... if you need to reach out, do.

Hold your head up high, jump and reach for your star, because its out there waiting for you to shine!