I have lived in Marlow for 32 years. Both my son (a tennis coach, who lives locally) and daughter (GP) went to local schools. I have worked for myself for the past 30 years; my first business was a recruitment agency for locum vets and vet nurses, and more recently, I have launched Planet Afryca.

   My love of the ancient continent stemmed from the time I lived in southern Africa. My late husband and I lived in Malawi for three years in the early 1980s – we were on an overseas aid programme. Mike was the local vet and I helped out. I have always had a real affinity with the African bushveld, which is home to so many of the world's most magnificent and endangered animals. I am passionate about raising awareness of the plight of the elephant and rhino, which are under serious threat. My target is the younger generation as they are the future guardians of the planet and I believe that the key to preserving the wellbeing of the natural world is in the education of tomorrow's adults.

   I worked closely with Dr. Sue Hart, the original "Daktari" and first woman wildlife vet in Africa. And now, together, we have set up Planet Afryca, an online digital publisher of educational, entertaining and interactive media
for children. Planet Afryca provides access to a virtual world that enables children to immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of the African wilderness, in the hope that they, too, will learn, understand and ultimately respect the natural beauty of the world around them.

   The range of educational materials include short films, apps, audio books and ebooks inspired by the children's book, Tales of the Full Moon, which is a collection of 10 stories featuring a range of diverse and interesting characters, including Rumble Drum the Elephant, Splash the baby Hippo and Wally Warthog all brought together through the narrator, Spinosa Spider. 

   I am very excited as Tales of the Full Moon has been translated into Mandarin (the publication date is next month), not only providing an opportunity for English speakers learning the language to hone their skills but, importantly, opening children in China up to the vital lessons that Planet Afryca is trying to teach: to recognise precious wildlife as our neighbours on the planet – not as targets for greed.

   My first grandchild was born six months ago and my fervent wish is that Sophia will still be able to see rhinos, elephants and lions roaming freely in the wild when she turns 18. We don't want to be left with only footprints.