Jo Youle has lived two lifetimes. In the 90s she was part of the band Scarlet who had a massive hit with the song “Independent Love Song”. Her life was writing and recording music and a whirlwind of promotion, photoshoots and the terrifying prospect of playing live to huge audiences.
Alongside her music career Jo also worked as a volunteer at the Samaritans. Scarlet’s pop stardom ended, after their ill-fated second album. Jo continued volunteering at the Samaritans and then went on to become a director of Helplines at Missing People; a UK charity which is a lifeline when someone disappears. In 2012 she became the organisation’s Chief Executive.
As well as having a very unusual career path, chatting with Jo was fascinating because of her passion and commitment to her work.