Hi, my name is Angela Yardy.

I have spent all of my adult life so far working with children in some way, although most of it voluntary work, and as a result have never really left my own childhood (you may notice from some of my poem content - sorry!)
I am very happily married, with 2 children, and they are both brilliant at sharing their imaginations with me, so they are to blame for lots of my silliness too! They are also the reason that I became so actively involved at my local primary school, which is where I worked for 4 years as a part time teaching assistant, until I gave up paid work in favour of all the voluntary roles that needed filling (that's where my wonderful husband and provider comes in!)

I am very keen to promote literacy and a love of books to children, so helping to create the new school infant library was one of the biggest of these roles,

alongside running an ongoing School Book Club with the help of a team of volunteers. The children and parents are so supportive of it that we are now able to donate hundreds of books every year to the school classrooms and library from the proceeds. THANKS EVERYBODY: JOB WELL DONE, KEEP IT UP!

My main commitment is to the children's and youth work at my local church, which also takes me into primary schools to do assemblies (Hi to all of you children from Swinton Fitzwilliam, Swinton Queen, and Swinton Brookfield and to Kilnhurst Primary School - yes it is me!).  I am a leader in Sunday Club for 5 to 16 year olds, Sunday evening TNT Youth group for 11 years and upwards, and Teen Aglow teenage girls group which meets one Saturday in each month. See our church website if you fancy joining us.

I love all things creative and give most a go, so when I was introduced to poetry at a literacy morning at school where the parents learned alongside the children, I got hooked and just couldn't stop. That was in June 2008, so I became a self taught poet from there, and am still learning. I am keen therefore, to pass this enthusiasm on to others, especially children, together with the realisation that a poet is not someone different or unusually special, but just someone who is prepared to experiment with language and to share some of their thoughts, experiences and/ or feelings. Hopefully, the fact that I have written most of my poems as a self-taught beginner will inspire you to have a go too. Please do, and let me know what you think viathe guestbook (please remember that I need your help and guidance.)

I have set up this website as I cannot stand waste, so having got quite a collection of poems and information together I wanted to make it available to others. I have written a teaching book which I am working towards publishing, but in the meantime I hope that you will enjoy my website as a taste of what is, hopefully, yet to come!

If you want to know more about my very special honour of being awarded the Rotherham Ambassador award, I've told you more on this link in the best way I know how; a poem!

That's about it really. Bye for now.

 Angela (Mrs Yardy to the children at school!)