My mother, Penny Vine, who has died of pneumonia aged 71, transformed the adversity of her early childhood into a lifetime spent helping others feel seen, heard and valued. She believed that empathy could transform people, and spent her career in education in Leeds helping children, teachers and families develop the emotional skills to flourish. Many former pupils still remember her as one of the most important teachers of their childhood.
Her interest in emotional intelligence led her to become an advocate of “circle time”, a structured activity whereby children and teachers sit together to practise social and emotional skills, and she contributed to books and primary school curriculum materials. Later she became a practitioner of the Nonviolent Communication (NVC) process, delivering training across the UK and internationally, including in India and Canada, and helping establish a school in Romania founded on its principles in the 2010s. Whatever the setting, her aim remained the same: to help people listen, resolve conflict peacefully and recognise each other’s humanity.
