I arrived in Sheffield on a misty, grey, damp April day in 1977. It was a very scary time for me leaving Chile, the only place I had ever known. As a refugee escaping political persecution it was terrible to suffer torture, fear and nightmares of persecution. Being displaced from the place you were born is not easy, because you have to readjust to everything, to practically be reborn. The language was the hardest thing to learn - it took me five years to have the confidence to speak English.

I’ve become involved in the communities I’ve lived in. I started helping in the playgroup my son attended. Later, with a group of friends, we set up the St James’ Parent and Toddler group in Pitsmoor and I’m still play leader there. In 1982 I joined the Red Cross, becoming a Nursing Welfare officer, teaching children and adults first aid. I was part of the Red Cross when another tragedy happened in my life, the Hillsborough disaster of April 1989, where I worked alongside doctors and nurses on the day.

I think it’s extremely important to integrate into the community that you live in, and I hope I’ve made a worthwhile contribution.

Roe Wood