Chrissie Hadfield is a newer face in the Pebbles family, joining this year as Registered Manager at our Tyne Close home.

In a short period of time, she successfully reopened her home and recently received an Ofsted inspection after only being open for three months, where Chrissie and her team received ‘Good’ across the board, which is a huge achievement.

The young person at Tyne Close is flourishing thanks to Chrissie and her team. She is coming out of her shell and finding her own identity. She has also made huge leaps forward in terms of her engagement with education and has been recognised by Eden Animal Rescue Centre for achieving over 100 hours volunteering. Previously she hadn’t settled anywhere long enough to sit any assessments and hated school. Now she has found some structure and stability and is attending school full time and is enjoying it.

Chrissie is a big believer in the saying, ‘happy chickens make happy eggs’, knowing the importance of a happy and safe household not only for the young people in our care but also for her team. She is a huge advocate for staff welfare, making sure that her team has everything they need to allow them to flourish in their career and provide outstanding care to our young people.

Chrissie is just as busy outside of work as she is whilst in it. Juggling being a mum, a school governor, running a local youth centre (with Blue Potts manger Kealey Rushworth), and playing rugby for Carlisle RUFC, being voted Vice Captain for the team. Pebbles are proud to be Chrissie’s sponsor for the 2023/2024 season.

Chrissie started playing rugby around five years ago as she was looking for a way to do some exercise and get fitter. She never imagined she’d actually play on the team, especially since she had never even watched a rugby game before!

The team were extremely welcoming and although she was scared that she would be out of her depth, she realised that there was a difference of experience across the team and that beginners were just as important as seasoned players. Chrissie is a big believer that sports, exercise and positive social groups create positive mental health. Not only has she gained a new love for rugby, she has also gained a new group of the most amazing people who come from all walks of life, who are inclusive, understanding and caring for each other on and off the pitch.