Smartaupairs Au Pair of the Year 2022 - Hannah

21-11-2022

After a few crazy years, our very own Smartaupairs Au Pair of the Year Award is BACK! 

Each year, on the 24th of November, we celebrate the International Au Pair Day. This is a day of global celebration of all au pairs and their contribution to cultural exchange around the world. 

What better way to mark the date than by sharing the wonderful story of this year’s winning au pair.

Hannah arrived in England in 2020 from Australia - her placement was originally due to last for a year, however she ended up extending for 2nd year which is a testimony in itself of the great relationship she has with her host family, the Macnicol’s, seasoned au pair hosts in their own right :)

Hannah was based in rural Norfolk – and with her story we hope to highlight how once again – what really matters is the right personality fit between the au pair and the family.

We receive lots of requests for London locations but we hope this story highlights how one can have an amazing experience also in the beautiful countryside of the UK.

Here is Hannah’s host family’s letter which highlights why Hannah is such a star au pair and you can also read Hannah’s own letter about her experience below.

Friday 18th November 2022

Dear Tuuli

Hannah has been the most remarkable au pair and we would like to put her forward for the Au Pair of the Year Award 2022.

Hannah joined us in December 2020 and immediately settled into our family life on a farm in north Norfolk. She has such a happy disposition and our kids warmed to her very quickly - the twins who were then 8 and our youngest who was then 3. Over the two years she stayed with us she developed an incredibly close bond with all 3 children, instilled a huge amount of fun and laughter during the various lockdowns, and provided genuinely wise advice and guidance to my husband and I as the preteen years hit!

Hannah is very organised, a wonderful cook and incredibly warm, funny and creative - the perfect combination for an au pair! She has a wonderful ‘can do’ attitude which meant she turned her hand to anything we asked of her and fully embraced every opportunity we offered her. She came on holiday with us to the wilds of Scotland which she loved, went on a solo trip to Paris for a week, made several trips to London and took two weeks off in summer 2022 to visit numerous cities in Italy and France with her sister. Hannah has a very strong faith and established a wonderful group of friends at a church in Norwich so her weekends were always busy and full of fun. For about six months she volunteered for the church’s Events team and travelled to Norwich once a week which we fit in and around her work hours.

We already miss Hannah hugely and wish her every success in her new career as an Events planner now she is back in Australia.

We very much think she deserves to win the award!

Yours faithfully

Kate MacNicol

Hannah’s Entry:

Becoming an Au Pair was an easy decision for me as I love children. A job as an Au Pair was the perfect way for me to travel and work at the same time.

When it came to choosing a family the MacNicols sounded like a lovely and welcoming family and that was exactly what I found when I met them both on Zoom and in person. The MacNicols were amazing during my stay with them. I originally was set to spend a year with them in Norfolk but extended my trip an extra year because I was having the best time. 

My Au Pair experience was enhanced due to the relationship and friendships I grew with both the children and parents during my stay. 

Whilst experiencing another Covid outbreak the MacNicol family went above and beyond in supporting, loving and caring for me when I tested positive with Covid-19. At this time I was also due to fly home to visit my family and the MacNicols graciously allowed me to change my travel plans for when I had recovered, even though it may have been an inconvenience to them.
During my stay, the MacNicols made me feel included in all aspects of life. They made me feel like part of their family throughout my stay, even on my days off. I was included in family activities, fun and holidays. 

I would highly recommend the Au Pair program to anyone who is looking to experience a new country, widen their horizons and make new lifelong friends and memories. It is an experience I will never forget.

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