Jan Smith (nee Bouch) grew up in London. After leaving Blackheath High School she travelled with the MRA musical Anything to Declare? around Europe, Asia and Australasia from 1968 to 1971.
On returning to the UK, she trained in typography and graphic design at the London College of Printing. She subsequently worked for eight years in the arts studio at the Westminster Theatre Arts Centre and for the publishing house Grosvenor Books, designing publicity material, posters and book jackets.
When the Westminster Theatre was sold, Jan worked at the new IofC centre, proofreading For A Change magazine and other publications, and freelancing with Macmillan Publishers.
She married Mike Smith in 1981. While bringing up two children, Chloe and Nick, Jan and Mike hosted foreign students from the Wimbledon School of English for 20 years.
During this time she did a Psychology Diploma at Birkbeck University and then an Art Therapy course at Goldsmiths. After this, she volunteered for several years at a welcome centre for asylum seekers, running an art group and putting on exhibitions of their work in the community.
Now living in Dorking, Surrey, she works with the local foodbank. She has sung with Wimbledon Choral Society since 2005. She has two grandsons, Theo and Max.
