I have worked in and with the voluntary/community sector for more than 35 years predominantly in the criminal justice and housing advice sectors, but also as Policy and Research Officer for NI with the National Lottery Community Fund Funding in Northern Ireland | The National Lottery Community Fund (tnlcommunityfund.org.uk).
In 2007, I joined Changing Faces [a charity ’new’ to NI] as Development Manager www.changingfaces.org.uk where I worked closely with individuals and families to raise awareness of the charity’s direct support services for those living with congenital or acquired conditions affecting appearance, as well as with clinicians and allied health professionals re the significance of the pyscho-social model of care e.g. CPD training and study days.
On foot of redundancy, I then joined Family Fund www.familyfund.org.uk in 2017 as Partnership and Development Manager and, by way of a fixed term freelance contract in 2021, the UK charity Fragile X www.fragilex.org.uk to help raise awareness of and promote access to the charity’s services to NI families [of which it is estimated there are some 5000+ locally].
As such I have been aware of the work of the NIRDP for a number of years and am delighted to have been invited to join the Board and as now semi -retired, I am keen to contribute in any way possible to the charity’s work here.