Wow. I can’t believe Vicki Admin Fairy® is 3 today.
As I enter my 4th year as a Virtual Assistant, I now feel it is time to reflect on my journey and how I finally got to do what I love. 😍
I was born many years ago. Ok 48 years ago to be exact 🎉 On a cold November night in the Wrexham Maelor Hospital. At the age of around 18months, my parents were concerned I was still walking around the home holding to the furniture; never letting go. I was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. As the years went by, I grew, my muscles and tendons slowly became tighter. This meant my walking deteriorated (although being a determined person I am working on changing that).
But having this disability has never stopped me having a fulfilled life with all the opportunities that any other able-bodied person would have. You could say l have done things in my life that some able-bodied people never do 😊
Through the years from being diagnosed to the age of 16, I was in and out of the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic hospital in Oswestry, having several major operations to loosen my tight tendons and muscles in my legs to help with my walking.
This was hard in many ways. Being the strong willed person I am, some might call it stubborn, I was able to get through the trauma of the surgery along with lengthy stays in hospital (6months for one operation) and intensive physiotherapy; and get on with my schoolwork and have a normal child of the 1980’s social life.
Despite all these interruptions in my formative years, I achieved great things academically, I successfully passed my G.C.S.E.’s and A’levels. I then went on to graduate from the University of Wales with a 2:2 BA (Hons) Degree in Business Management.
Here is where it all began, along with always being on my typewriter as a teenager. Who remembers the sore fingers after hours of pressing the keys on the manual typewriter’s 🙂
As a child a was never treated as a disabled person by family, friends or anyone who met me. I got on with everything like an able-bodied child would. I even had 3 ponies of my own: Snowball, Albert and Sian. I started at the Riding for the Disabled in Llanfynydd at the age of 7 then joined the Waen-Y-Llyn pony club.
The years went by I was a typical teenager, going out with my friends. It was fun times in between hospital stays 😊
Then I met Stephen Wilson – who on 3rd July 2004 became my husband. We have had many adventures over the years. We bought a house in Wrexham together (which needed a lot of renovation and bringing in to the 21st Century 😊) then moving to Oswestry; getting our 2 crazy dogs Pudding and Pippin, and going on many many holidays.
Following my graduation, I started working as an Administrative Assistant and later promoted to Administrative Officer at the HMRC – His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs. I was there for almost 20 years. I worked in various parts of taxation around the employers and Self Employed taxation and later Personal Taxation and Self Assessment. Here I learnt lots about administrative tasks and also how they could be done better 😊
Whilst working at HMRC I broke my hip in April 2018 (btw I highly recommend BREAKING YOUR HIP) it’s was a life changer but in my case it was for the best. I finally got back in to the NHS system after being discharged at the age of 18. Breaking my hip turned out to have many benefits for me. I was referred back to the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital for intensive physiotherapy. The physiotherapist then referred me to their ORLAU department who made me a custom-made walking frame.
A few months after breaking my hip, the redundancy consultation period was announced, for the HMRC office in Wrexham where I worked was going to be closed. We were all given the choice to either relocate to Liverpool or take redundancy.
For me it was a no brainer to take redundancy. l didn’t want to be working for someone else. – I want to be my own boss, doing the work I want, with the clients I chose, for the hours I want!
On the 31st May 2020 (right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic) I had my last day in the HMRC albeit working from home.
This was the start of new, amazing beginnings for me.
For the first 12 months, following redundancy, I helped my husband in his bookkeeping business, carrying out all the administrative tasks for him.
Then some of his clients asked me to help them with small administrative tasks. And from this Vicki Admin Fairy® was born on the 26th February 2021.
So being made redundant was a great thing to happen to me as I have now set up my very own successful business.
I have also achieved great things as Vicki Admin Fairy® I was shortlisted in the Solo VA of the Year 2023 for the VA Conference Awards, and I was awarded the Highly Commended certificate in the Strategic PA Network Awards.
This month I found out that I am a FINALIST in the PA AWARDS – WEST MIDLANDS – Independent Virtual Assistant of the Year 2024!!
The future looks really exciting for me.
Best Wishes.
Vicki, Your Admin Fairy 🧚♀️✨