Bernie O’Roarke, Irish & Irish Traveller Outreach and Resettlement Worker, Solace Woman’s Aid

Bernie started at Solace Woman’s Aid in 2005 as a refuge worker for both Irish Communities and six months later set up the service which is funded by the Irish Government. She spent over ten years working as a Montessori teacher in Trinidad and Tobago, Finland, Germany and her last teaching post was here in London as a headteacher of a Montessori school for children aged 3 to 7 years.

Prior to this Bernie worked as a play therapist on a children’s ward at St Elisabeth Hospital on the island of Guernsey. Part of her life has always been to travel and on completion of her teaching days she decided to travel and spend a year living in India where she studied the teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and spent a lot of time doing retreats and learning yoga.

On her return to London she began studying at the London School of Classical Homeopathy and graduated with a licence to practice in July 2007. Bernie continue to travel and take retreats as much as possible and considers this to be a very important part of her life.