Mae fideos ysgogiadol a chyngor gyrfaoedd Aimee Bateman wedi derbyn mwy na 25 miliwn o drawiadau ar YouTube. 

Mae Aimee, a gafodd gofal pan oedd hi’n blentyn, wedi siarad am ei phenderfynoldeb i fod yn llwyddiannus fel rhan o Wythnos Dathlu Gofal, menter a drefnir gan Voices From Care Cymru, a ddechreuodd gyda diwrnod ymwybyddiaeth cenedlaethol, Diwrnod Gofal 2018, ar 16 Chwefror. 

Cychwynnodd yr entrepreneur o Gymraes ei busnes ei hun o ddim, ond nid oedd blynyddoedd ei harddegau bob amser yn rhwydd, eglurodd.

“Drwy gydol fy arddegau, roeddwn i’n teimlo bod pobl yn fy marnu cryn dipyn. Doedd pobl ddim am i’w plant fod yn ffrindiau gyda fi am fy mod i’n byw mewn gofal. 

“Erbyn hyn, mae fy holl yrfa wedi’i dylunio i gynorthwyo pobl eraill i ddod o hyd i rywle i weithio lle, am wyth awr y dydd, maen nhw’n teimlo eu bod yn cael eu gweld, eu clywed a’u gwerthfawrogi.” 

Dechreuodd Aimee, 36, ei sianel YouTube yn 2011, a dechreuodd wneud fideos yn ei lolfa gartref. 

Mae ei busnes, Careercake.com, wedi mynd yn ei flaen i ennill gwobrau a chael ei gydnabod yn fyd-eang, ond mae hi’n dweud mai ei hatgof cynharaf oedd bod yn benderfynol i “fyw’r bywyd rwy’n ei greu, nid y bywyd a roddwyd i mi”, meddai. 

Wrth siarad am Arolygiaeth Gofal Cymru, meddai Aimee: 

“Rwy’n credu ei bod yn bwysig bod gan bobl sy’n agored i niwed yng Nghymru sefydliad sy’n sicrhau eu bod yn derbyn y safon gywir o ofal.  

“Boed yn blentyn yn y system gofal, neu’n hen berson sy’n derbyn gofal mewn cartref gofal, mae’n bwysig iawn bod eu hawliau’n cael eu hyrwyddo. 

“Mae’n dda gwybod bod ganddynt sefydliad sy’n gweithio’n galed i sicrhau eu bod yn cael eu hamddiffyn.”

Wrth roi sylwadau am Ddiwrnod Gofal 2018 ac Wythnos Dathlu Gofal, meddai Prif Arolygydd Gillian Baranski: 

“Mae hyn yn gyfle arbennig i ddathlu’r llwyddiannau a’r modelau rôl ar gyfer pobl ifanc yng Nghymru sy’n derbyn neu newydd adael gofal. 

“Rydym yma i arolygu gwasanaethau gofal ledled Cymru ac rydym yn clywed dro ar ôl tro am straeon cadarnhaol, ond nid ydynt bob amser yn derbyn sylw’r wasg. 

“Mae’n wych bod pobl fel Aimee yn codi eu llais fel rhan o wythnos Dathlu Gofal i gynnig geiriau o anogaeth a llwybr i blant sy’n derbyn gofal anelu ato a’i ddilyn.”

Welsh entrepreneur and CEO is positive role model for Celebration of Care Week 2018

Aimee Bateman’s career advice and motivational videos have had more than 25 million hits on YouTube. 

Aimee, who experienced care when she was a child, has spoken about her determination to be successful as part of Celebration of Care week, an initiative run by Voices from Care, which kicked off with a nationwide awareness day, Care Day 2018, on 16 February.

The Welsh entrepreneur created her own business from scratch, but her teenage years were not always easy, she explained.

“I had felt judged a lot through my teenage years. People not wanting their children to be friends with me because I was living in care. 

“My entire career now is designed to assist other people in finding a place of work where, for 8 hours a day, they feel seen, heard and valued.”

Aimee, 36, started her YouTube channel in 2011 and started making videos in her living room at home.

Her business Careercake.com has gone on to win awards and be recognised globally, but she says her earliest memory was being determined to “live the life I make, not the life I was given,” she said.

Speaking about Care Inspectorate Wales, Aimee said: 

“I think it’s important that vulnerable people in Wales have an organisation that ensures they receive the right standard of care. 

“Whether it is child in the care system, or an elderly person being looked after in a care home, it is really important that their rights are championed. 

“It’s good to know that they have an organisation that works hard to ensure they are protected.”

Commenting on Care Day 2018 and Celebration of Care Week, Chief Inspector Gillian Baranski said:

“This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the success stories and role models that are out there for young people in Wales who are experiencing or have recently left care.

“We inspect care services across Wales and what we hear time and time again are positive stories, which don’t always hit the headlines. 

“It’s great that people like Aimee are speaking out as part of the Celebration of Care Week to offer words of encouragement and a path for looked after children to aspire to and follow.”