Kath Sharman, child therapist and obesity counsellor, self-employed

Employer: Self-employed
Age: 52
Time in job: Five years
Salary: £30,000-£40,000 although work for Shine is mainly
voluntary

The Shine project works with young people aged between 10 and 17 who have obesity problems. It is based in the Manor, one of the most deprived wards in Sheffield.

Kath Sharman, a therapist and the project's founder, decided to set it up after seeing how often obesity contributed to low self-esteem. She herself was overweight so knew just how difficult and damaging the condition could be. "I have had the same struggles as the young people I yo-yo dieted and was teased at school," she says.

But since starting the programme she has set a good example by losing 10 stone, although she concedes she still needs to lose another two. Her own circumstances mean she has a sense of empathy for the young people, something they appreciate, she says. It is rewarding work. "The most satisfying thing is seeing the success of the kids and not just in losing weight," she says. "We've had young people who've been bullied out of school who have built up the confidence to be reintegrated."