Hello my name is…

Lydia Rodger. I grew up in Warwickshire and have been via York, Edinburgh and Margate before starting work with CHFT. I love cooking, anything creative and everything 1930/40s, including swing dancing – I met my husband Dan while learning to lindy hop in Edinburgh. When I moved to Kent for my first job, he was still in Edinburgh, meaning months of 6 ½ hour train journeys to visit each other. Soon after I got my job in Huddersfield, he got a job in the area too. We got married in April 2017, ‘…and they lived happily ever after!’

What is your position?  

I’m a Speech & Language Therapist (SALT) working in the Children’s Therapy Team based at Princess Royal Community Health Centre (yes, we’re still here!) We have SALTs, Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists all under one roof along with our lovely admin team (what would we do without them?!), and have strong links with the Calderdale side of our team at Broad Street Plaza.

Summarise your career background
I did a bachelor’s degree in English Language & Linguistics before deciding that speech & language therapy was my calling. After a couple of years out working to save money and doing voluntary work to gain experience, I did a Masters degree in Speech & Language Therapy at Queen Margaret University (just outside Edinburgh) before starting my first job covering Thanet & Canterbury on the Eastern tip of Kent. As that was a fixed term contract (and far from ideal geographically!), I moved to Huddersfield in 2015 and have been here ever since. I work with children mostly of nursery and primary school age, but I also cover two high schools.

What is the highlight of your career so far?

I recently got my first band 6 position as an internal promotion so I’m simultaneously pleased to be moving forward in my career and happy that I get to stay with my lovely colleagues at Princess Royal, who have been so supportive in helping me to develop my confidence as a therapist.

Sum up your role in three words

Varied, challenging, rewarding.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A ballerina. Then an artist, a physiotherapist and a journalist before finally arriving at my conclusion at the age of 21!

Who is your hero/heroine and why?
That’s a difficult one – there are so many people I admire for different reasons so I’m not sure I could pick one!

When you are not at work how do you relax?
I love to bake, although trying a tricky new recipe can sometimes be a bit stressful! I also love dancing, going to the theatre or just having a Netflix binge with Dan (currently The Good Place and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt).

What is your favourite place?

Edinburgh – I would live there again if I could.

What would people be surprised to know about you?

I was given the lead role in my year 6 leavers’ play despite minimal acting experience and being more wall-flower than dramatic diva!

Twitter/Facebook?
Facebook is a good way of keeping up with my now widely-dispersed school/university friends. I don’t use Twitter.

The NHS was 70 on the 5th July. How does that make you feel?

I do worry about what the future holds for the NHS, but I’m proud to be part of something big and thankful that I have access to free healthcare when I’m on the other side of things as a patient.