Name: Marilyn Hähn.

Job: Senior emergency planning officer, Lancashire Council.

How long in the job? Two and a half years.

Career highlight: Managing the Lancashire Red Cross response to the arrival of the Kosovan refugees in 1999.

Best training ever done: Advanced diploma in counselling.

I didn’t get where I am today by: Accepting that because it’s always been done that way, that’s the only way to do it.

Over the course of my career, I wish I had: Gained more qualifications.

The best move I’ve ever made was: Into the social care world when I joined the British Red Cross.

The most painful lesson I’ve learned at work is: You can’t help everyone. There will always be people you wish you could have done more for and those who don’t want help.

Me and my career: I co-ordinate Lancashire Council’s response to emergencies, such as fire and flooding when I would find accommodation for people whose homes are affected. Much of my work entails planning. It’s satisfying when this works and traumatised people feel better as a result. I work closely with social services and have enormous respect for them. Going into social care satisfied a need in me. It gave me renewed respect for social workers, who are a super crowd in a no-win situation. I still volunteer with the Red Cross. In January I went to Thailand for a fortnight as part of a Red Cross six-person support team for British people affected by the tsunami. Our job was to support survivors through a difficult time and get them home.

curriculum vitae:

2002-current: Senior emergency planning officer, Lancashire Council.

1998-2002: Community services manager, British Red Cross, Lancashire.

1992-8: Administrator, British Red Cross, Lancashire.

1988-92: Events co-ordinator.

1975-88: Career break to raise children, voluntary work with Girl Guides Association and British Red Cross.

1971-5: Exhibitions manager.