About Us

Lorna Stalker

A challenging childhood instilled the value of a strong family unit. As a wife, mother of 2, mother-in-law, grandmother of 4, Lorna has an established cornerstone on which she can depend, feels supported and able to spread her wings.

Lorna joined the Ayrshire Careers Service as an administrator in 1991. Following ill health, she was keen to add more building blocks, expanding her experience working with employers: labour market researcher, ‘Skillup’ trainer, and then moving into roles supporting individuals: personal adviser, key worker, work coach and school careers adviser. Throughout volunteering with youth organisations has formed an important part of her career; designing and facilitating activities for young children, as well as themed holidays. Lorna continued stretching her skills by moving through stages into the senior section, guiding young people through skills programmes. Lorna completed her Training License with Girlguiding in 2006 progressing to training adult volunteers across the UK.

Lifelong learning is at the heart of Lorna’s professional journey, gaining qualifications in training, counselling, guidance, supervision, before qualifying with the MSc in Career Development.

This combined knowledge and experience supported Lorna’s progression into team leader, then national operations executive, connecting with Liane to create a theory activity handbook for practitioners before writing Sailplaning, Creating a 4-D Life and Career in 2023.

“Fledge Town has been a delight. I love seeing young people engage their imagination whilst gaining amazing insights into their present and potential selves.”

Liane Hambly

Growing up working class in South Wales, Liane was the first in her family to go to university. Frozen by a lack of self-confidence and a feeling of not being bright enough, she left with a top degree but unable to work out what to do next. She spent the next two years unemployed and struggling. The darkest times can be life changing experiences – insights into how hard it can be to navigate life and work decisions led Liane to a lifetime vocation in career counselling and coaching.

Liane qualified as a careers adviser and initially worked in some of the most deprived areas in Leicester, supporting adults and young people to explore and have confidence in their potential. After a few secondments into training and research she eventually became a Senior lecturer in career development studies.

For the last 19 years she has run her own business – training, writing, coaching and supervising in career development. From frozen and being unable to express opinions at 18, she now delivers key-note presentations at international conferences.

Liane believes that we are all in a process of becoming, finding who we are and taking our place in the world. Sometimes we need support from others to help, and writing with Lorna is something she hopes will provide inspiration and support to young people and adults on that journey.

Katharine Martin

I have loved drawing since I was young. As a teenager I would illustrate all the lyrics of my favourite songs and even now I find myself illustrating my to-do-lists, as well as creating birthday and Christmas cards for friends and family. Art was my favourite subject at school by far, but I didn’t have the confidence in myself back then to apply for art college and took another direction, studying History at university and subsequently qualifying as an Archivist.

Working in the museum world was amazing, but after having my children I took a course in illustrating children’s books and rediscovered my love of drawing and painting. I have come to realise that drawing calms my mind, channelling my creativity in this way really does energise me. I just love designing something that is completely unique and that I can translate what I see in my head into an actual image in front of me. And if I can make someone smile as a result, then that is the best feeling ever!

So, when the opportunity arose to work on the amazing creation that is Fledge Town, I jumped at the chance! Bringing the wonderful Lina birds to life has been such a joy and I can’t wait to see them fly!