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The Essential Resource for Derbyshire Families
Days out, days in, top tips, articles and reviews
our vision
To create a connected community of Derbyshire families
To celebrate Derbyshire's brilliant businesses
our ethos
To be inclusive and embrace diversity: we want to represent a full range
of people and families
To build community and promote connection: we want to build the Boom community both in real life and online and we want to champion local businesses
To encourage creativity and bring joy: we want the magazine and our social media to bring pleasure to our readers and followers
To be relevant and essential: we want our readers and followers to feel like Boom is a crucial part of their lives and a trusted resource
Steph Patrick
Director and Owner
Hi, I’m Steph. Derbyshire born and bred. I’m mum to two little girls who keep life lively, interesting and, of course, exhausting! We love getting creative together and particularly enjoy outdoor adventures, whether it be bug-spotting in our garden, rock pooling on the beach, or wandering through woodland looking for squirrels and birds.
I’m a keen photographer, a lover of musicals and books (recommendations for historical fiction in far-away places, please!) and a wildlife enthusiast. I also have a passion for travel. Before the girls arrived, I’d been fortunate enough to visit over 50 countries, mostly with my husband, Dean. It’s our hope that they’ll inherit our wanderlust and all the curiosity, tolerance and opportunity it brings with it.
I’ve been a primary school teacher for 17 years, working mainly with 7 to 11-year-olds. As with my own children, I’m driven to ensure that the pupils in my care become knowledgeable, accepting, aspirational and considerate citizens of the big wide world that awaits them.
Boom Magazine has become an integral part of my life since having children. I’ve enjoyed the family-centred articles, selected classes to attend from the listings, and referred back to it most weekends to see what events are on. It feels pretty special to be a part of ensuring lots more Derbyshire families can do the same!
Heather Gunn
Director and Owner
Hi, I’m Heather. Originally from the Isle of Man; I moved to Derby for university and decided to make Derbyshire home after meeting my husband Joe and falling in love with him, and everything the ‘shire has to offer. We now live just outside Belper with our baby girl, our campervan and a menagerie of animals. Derbyshire’s many river, reservoir and canal walks help when I’m missing the sea – and we’re keen bird spotters, with the rare treat of clocking a kingfisher keeping us keen.
As an Art Therapy graduate, creativity has always been at the centre of my lifestyle – with live music, dance and festivals keeping our calendar packed full of fun. I’m a classical music nerd having grown up playing double bass in various orchestras, but I also used to gig solo, playing my own acoustic/folk sets all over the country. My little girl is already a music lover and attended her first metal festival aged 6 months!
I ended up making a career of passionately sharing how wonderful this region is, and after 15+ years working in Marketing, Sales and Events in a number of amazing settings, I’m so excited to utilise my skills to grow the Boom community – supporting families and businesses alike. I most recently worked as Marketing, Brand and Partnerships Manager at the Student Union at the University of Derby, ensuring student life was the best it could possibly be and, in this new role, I can’t wait to make new connections, and create new opportunities for the next generation of brilliant minds and game changers.