Scottish Trainers
Two brief biographies 
of Pauline Vallance and Janine Ryan
Pauline Vallance
Pauline Vallance lives in Ayrshire and works as a Health Development worker in schools in the Johnstone and Linwood areas in Renfrewshire.
She trained in Shiatsu massage in 1988, keeping this as a hobby while she worked with children and young people in community education centres and social groupwork settings. She has always been interested in making massage treatments more accessible and after starting her present job, found the ideal opportunity to do this.
She completed the MIS Instructors training in March 2002 and has introduced the full programme into two schools and, through taster sessions, into several others and has attempted to spread the word about the benefits of the programme in as many ways as possible.
She undertook the MIS Trainers course in May 2003 and is very excited by the opportunity to take the MIS programme further by offering courses as often as required.
I originally trained in Community Education in Edinburgh – qualifying in 1990. I then worked in youth work settings, adult education and went on to spend 10 years working as a home school partnership worker in both primary and secondary schools. During this time I increasingly found myself working on programmes with a health focus leading to a change of employment with the Health Promotion Department in NHS Lanarkshire.
My work within NHS Lanarkshire focuses on improving the health of children and young people and led me to the discovery of the Massage In Schools Programme. I have never looked back!
This programme is simple but effective having many benefits for children (as well as staff and parents). I trained as an instructor, have taught the programme to children both in and out of school settings and have jointly organised over 12 courses in South Lanarkshire Council.
My progression to becoming a MISP international trainer has provided me with a great opportunity to promote the programme, working with children and adults alike. I look forward to sharing my enthusiasm with others!
.