I’m Gill and I’m based in Leith, Edinburgh although I am a natural-born Dundonian.
I’ve had an interesting career trajectory, initially training in the performing arts, before embarking on a career in the music industry and then finally, training to be a teacher. I taught Drama for a number of years before moving into Support for Learning where my specialism has been working with neurodivergent young people.
I came to Humanism through the experience of writing and performing readings at a number of friends and family weddings, and in delivering part of the eulogy at the funeral of my best friend. All of these ceremonies were Humanist ones and left me with such a positive feeling and progressive, life-affirming experience that I knew I wanted to explore the philosophy more. Humanism embodies all of the values that I hold dear - those of creativity, inclusivity, empathy, reason and tolerance. I see my role as a Humanist celebrant as a form of creative expression and I feel privileged to be entrusted with your story.
A ceremony which honours exactly who people are, filled with the best anecdotes, memories and unique flourishes is the best way to celebrate any major life milestone. Do you want your naming ceremony to include a colourful sand ceremony or bubble blowing ritual? Or a wedding ceremony conducted at the top of a hill or in the middle of a hedge maze? I am always up for anything a bit quirky and open to ideas!
Outside of being a celebrant, I enjoy creative writing, going to gigs and I’ve also started to learn Gaelic. My overarching passion however is travelling around and photographing Scotland. I know every corner of our beautiful country through my various jaunts and blogs about it, and am always more than happy to travel far and wide to conduct ceremonies. In fact, the more off-the-beaten track, the better!
If you connect with any of this and feel that I would be a good match for your ceremony, then I’d love to hear from you!