Forward MID Members
Mary Dempster
Age: Sweet Sixteen (Again and Again)
Position: Active member
I was born in Dalquhandy Coalburn and attended Lesmahagow
Higher Grade School
and left at age 15 with no qualifications whatsoever.
I returned to education as a
mature student age 40 and graduated
from Moray House College Edinburgh in 1991
as a fully fledged
Community Education Worker. In 1999 I went to study, Scottish
History, Scottish Language, Art and Architecture etc.
at Newbattle Abbey College.
The best educational experience I ever had.
My husband Peter and I came to live in Mayfield Dalkeith in 1969.
We have 2 sons and
5 grandchildren which ensures that the expertise
I gained over 25 years as a youth
worker is still practiced by me!
Supported by the local area co-ordination I have begun to become
involved in my local
community once again. I have been looking at
ways of encouraging people with
disabilities “to get out there”
and meet up with other folks and enjoy themselves.
Forward Mid has given me a voice within a group of people
who are working together
to help raise awareness of some
of the difficulties faced by disabled people,
