Daisy Casemore, Involvement and Volunteer Project Worker
Claire and I met when she joined my rugby team in July 2019. As the captain of the team, I was the port of call for enquiries, so our first communication was when she rang me asking where we met for training. When she arrived I made sure she felt welcomed and ‘buddied up’ with her so she wasn’t on her own. Over the course of the next few weeks we began chatting more and I persuaded her to come to a rugby club barbecue day. I was then heading off to another friend’s party that evening and dragged her along with me. After a few gins I bit the bullet and told her I fancied her and we shared our first kiss - cue the clapping and cheering from my friends!
We started dating and in the first few weeks went for dinners, drinks and even to some concerts. We also played our first rugby games together and were partnered up in second row on a few occasions! I asked Claire to be my girlfriend on 13 September 2019. We soon realised we both have three major things in common: 1. A zest for life and wanting to make every moment count 2. A passion for helping our communities and 3. Being big kids wherever possible!
Claire moved into my family home on Valentine’s Day 2020 - little did we know we would have only a couple of weeks living a ‘normal’ life before we got thrown into lockdown. We survived lockdown with paddling pool parties for two, bike rides, walks and yoga. As the world started to reopen, we spent weekends with her family in Essex, eating out or planning gigs, concerts and future travels.
Fast forward to this week and I have been promoted from girlfriend to fiancée! Claire planned the most perfect and thoughtful proposal I could ever imagine! We are currently on a stay-cation in Norfolk, where we had planned to get up at 5am to watch the sunrise and recreate some funny photos we take at every beach we visit. After we’d watched the sunrise, Claire said we were going to take a funny video, 30 seconds in and Claire calls me towards her, our song started playing and then she got down on one knee. It was perfect. We were the only people on the beach and had the beautiful sunrise behind us.
What made it more perfect was the memories of where she proposed. It was the place where I first told my parents about her, the place we first holidayed together and now the place we got engaged. I am still on cloud nine writing this and it still hasn’t quite sunk in!
I want to end by saying how grateful I am for working for an organisation who don’t just allow us to be ourselves, but champion and support us to be our best, true, authentic selves. I have never openly shared my sexuality within other workplaces, due to fear of stigmatisation or different treatment, but I know that doesn’t happen here!
So thank you Mark, and all my amazing colleagues for creating a culture where it’s OK to be the true you.
Daisy
