2024 has been a tough year personally as I have watched some of the people closest to me suffer with ill health in serious and life impacting ways. I need to recognise getting through 2024 was an achievement, let alone managing to work.
BUT, 2024 was also the year I became an award winning Registered Nutritionist! Awards aren’t everything but I was delighted to receive them, and I do believe they help me shout louder to reduce health inequalities so they are definitely worth getting.
- Nutritionist Clinic of the Year 2024/5 – Global Awards – Corporate Livewire
- Nutritionist of the Year 2024 – North West England with SME Enterprise Awards UK
- Family Nutritionist of the Year 2024 – SME News Client Service Excellence Award 2024
- I was also shortlisted for the CN Award Paediatric Nutrition Professional of the Year 2024. I may not have won but I was delighted to be shortlisted.
Aside from awards, most of my reward is the work I actually do with people; with my nutrition clients, the nutritionists I support and people I campaign for who I never get to meet.
2024 was also the year I joined the World Health Organisation’s Fides Network – a global network of health professionals who use social media to fight misinformation. You may have seen some of my myth busting posts.
Some of the things I have done in 2024:
One to ones
I have had the privilege of working with lots of clients this year, from little ones up to those who have far more life experience than I do. I have supported clients with:
- weight loss, weight gain, strengthening muscle, reducing cholesterol, fussy eating, family nutrition alongside general healthier eating.
Pregnancy, weaning and early years work
- Delivered postnatal nutrition workshops
- Ran weaning sessions at Manchester’s Baby Week
- Ran the First Foods Course multiple times
- Delivered a workshop on family food at our local children’s centre
- Recorded 3 podcast episodes – one yet to be released, and 2 on weaning with the Family Health Podcast and the My Bump to Baby podcast
- Continued to head up the NHD Paediatric Hub quarterly writing articles and providing news.
- Did lots of campaigning around school food and Healthy Start
Nutrition for adults
- Spoke to a packed room at the Nursing Times Careers Plus event on healthy eating for nurses
- Developed lots of resources to support adults to eat well
- Writing articles my own websites and NHD
- Continued to offer the ‘Eating well during menopause’ on demand workshop
Support for other nutritionists and nutrition students to develop their careers
- Launched the RNutr peer support circle for RNutr working with clients – it’s been in the pipeline for far too long!
- 4 trainings teaching other nutritionists about delivering one to one nutrition consultations
- Launching a brand new Nutrition Skills Workshop on using AI in nutrition communications
- Was a panellist at the Royal Society of Medicine Nutrition Misinformation Conference
- Guest lectured at the University of Chester and Teeside University, Oxford Brookes University and Coventry University
- Supported many nutritionists to set up their own businesses through the consultancy package
- Provided ongoing support to a number of ANutr and seen 4 transfer to RNutr
- Supported students to register as ANutr through my portfolio service
- Continued to work to support the AfN Development Framework which provides support to ANutr
Community work highlights
- Supporting our local park (I chair the Friends group) to get Thriving in the Britain in Bloom awards again
- Continuing to support families through the toddler group I run (that’s why I don’t work on Mondays!)
Acknowledgements
I could not have made it through this year without the support of my family, particularly Andrew, my husband and biggest encouragement. We have talked about AI far too much this year but it’s been fun!
I also want to thank all those who have let me walk with them on their journey whether that is through changing their diets or supporting their careers. And a special shoutout to the nutrition champions who have supported me too, especially Gill Hooper, Zoe Griffiths and Laura Wyness.
Looking forward to seeing what 2025 has in store. Here’s hoping there is better news for food policy and poverty action.
Congrats and well done! You’re an amazing wife, mother, nutritionist and you!
Thank you Lydia. I am far from perfect but I am grateful for all the wonderful people I have in my life who encourage and support me.