Larone Wilson was born in Basford, Stoke-on-Trent in 1964. She is a volunteer for the Media Action Group's 'Local People, Local Lives' campaign, and is currently studying for a Certificate in Community Mental Health Care.

"I have always lived locally and my family were very active members of their local community. After going to school in Basford, it seemed a natural progression for me to go on to study for a degree in Applied Social Studies at Keele University. I later became a social worker for Staffordshire County Council, where I worked for 21 years, mostly in the field of child protection.

I strongly believe that being more open about mental ill health means people feel able to seek help before their problems reach crisis level, and leads to the prospect of a greater and quicker recovery. My own experience of mental ill health began in 2002 with anxiety and depression, and I had to give up my employment. In the course of my illness, I have experienced ignorance and discrimination on a personal level. I am therefore passionate about challenging such negative perceptions, which led me to join the 'Local People, Local Lives' campaign.

At the moment I am studying for a Community Certificate in Mental Health Care, something I find both stimulating and rewarding. I look forward to volunteering further in the mental health field in some capacity in the future and would like, at some point, to return to employment.

However, my life does not revolve around my mental health - far from it! I enjoy a wide variety of interests, in particular reading fiction, and I take part in creative writing courses when I get the chance. One of my ambitions is to learn Italian, as I love visiting the country, and perhaps one day, I'd like to have something published".