This month, we’re talking with Indigo, who became the new Head of our Young People team three months ago.
Our Young People team, and its variety of SW!TCH programmes, have remained at the heart of LifeLine for over 15 years, and we’re looking forward to seeing what the team can achieve under Indigo’s leadership.
What is your role at LifeLine?
I’m the Head of the Young People team and I’ve been with LifeLine for three months now—time really flies!
We’re at the forefront of supporting young people through our various mentoring initiatives and positive activities. We provide safe spaces, away from authority, where a young person has someone that will listen to them and offer support, wisdom, and guidance.
What do you like most about your job?
I get to work with truly lovely people that genuinely care about young people.
And I value the time I spend listening to schools and learning about impact we make. If you don’t have direct contact with the people you’re helping, you can end up being detached.
I love to hear how we influence—sometimes we don’t realise how much reach we have.
What led you to this job?
I’ve always worked with young people—I’m really interested in their wellbeing, education, and development.
I was previously an advocate for improving children’s reading and writing, where the goal was to give young people power and teach them how to break free of their environment.
When I saw this role, I thought it was a great opportunity to learn more.
What are you most proud of in your work life?
I ran a programme that aimed to increase the representation of people of colour in children’s literature.
I did a lot of work around helping to create access into the publishing industry for authors and illustrators of colour and reached up to 100,000 children across the country with books and virtual author events.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a writer and run my own business. I started my first business at 10 years old, washing cars. I made my own business cards and flyers and roped my friends in. It was fun and it worked.
What life-changing experiences led you to be where you are today?
I wouldn’t say it was one single experience, but I’m someone that likes learning and I need to feel like I’m always learning, evolving, and growing—I saw this role as an opportunity to do just that.
Looking at your work, what gives you a sense of hope?
It’s just great being part of a team dedicated to providing solutions for young people.
I would love it if we collected more evidence to prove that Lifeline’s work is needed more than ever.
What word would you use to describe yourself and what word would your friends use?
I would say I’m intuitive. I think my friends would say I’m insightful.
What's the one thing about you few people know?
I’m a qualified meditation coach.
I have an interest in wellbeing and I sometimes host meditation circles and creative meditation wellbeing events.
It’s all about using creative expression as a tool to support mindfulness.
Do you agree that people are basically good?
I think nothing in life will always be black and white. The world through my eyes is nuanced and I make sure to give space for people to be nuanced.
