NICVA Executive Elections

This year we have received 15 nominations to our Executive Committee for 2015-2018.  Following elections, four new members will be appointed to our committee and will be announced at our AGM on 10 December 2015 at 12.30pm. 

If you are a member of NICVA, we would encourage you to exercise your voting rights in the selection of the Executive Committee which has the responsibility of shaping the work of the organisation and meeting your needs as NICVA members.  If you wish to receive a ballot paper by email please contact [email protected].

Please find details of all our nominees below:  

1   Charlene Brooks – Parenting NI

Charlene is Director of Education and Participation responsible for the leadership, management and development of the education and participation project in Parenting NI. Her work involves widespread involvement with all sectors and she has been involved in a number of joint lottery bids involving work with other voluntary, statutory and community organisations. She has substantial experience of negotiating and successfully securing contracts even within a continuing volatile financial environment. Charlene has a particular interest in the development of social enterprises and has given considerable thought as to how this model can maintain and support organisations.      

2    Nicky Conway - Belfast Central Mission (BCM)

Nicky has been Head of Development for BCM for two years.  He has lead responsibility for new project development and the implementation of BCM’s Strategic and Business plans.  Other responsibilities include income generation including trading, contract and voluntary as well as property and asset management and the Social Enterprises, Fundraising and Marketing functions.  He has been a member of the Committee representing supporting people providers (CRISPP) for over 10 years, a founding member of the 4caring partnership and a member of CO3 and the Institute of Fundraising.  He is particularly interested in business development, improvement and innovation; planning, leading and implementing change; public policy and advocacy; marketing and communications.

3   Dr Aidan Donaldson - Project Zambia

As Chairperson, Aidan has been the coordinator of the project since its inception.  He is responsible for developing links, communicating and promoting partnerships with host communities and local partners, ensuring that the mission statement is lived out and aiding in the formation of volunteers. He also supports the work of the Westcourt Centre, St Vincent de Paul, Trocaire, The Peace Initiative for Africa and the Horn of Africa NI Aid. He has led groups on immersion programmes on Zambia on more than 20 occasions and recently accepted voluntary redundancy in order to establish a centre for social justice and advocacy under the management of the Westcourt centre.

4   Katie Hanlon – Ballynafeigh Community Development Agency (BCDA)

Katie is Director/CEO of BCDA.  She has over 31 years’ experience of community development and managing a shared organisation in a diverse neighbourhood.  Core work includes capacity building (supporting 270 groups in 2014/15), welfare rights, health and social wellbeing, life coaching, promoting volunteering, initiatives with children, young people and seniors.  She is a board member of NI Community Relations Council, Chair of South Belfast Independent Advice Consortium, Secretary of South Belfast Partnership Board, Leader of BDA/TCFL Taughnmonagh Health and Social Wellbeing Partnership, Board Member of South Belfast Sure Start and a Member of South Belfast Family Support and Mental Health Hubs.

5   Denise Hayward - Volunteer Now

Denise is Director of Engagement and Capacity Building with Volunteer now since 2010 and prior to that Assistant Director with the Volunteer Development Agency since 2001. She has previously served on the Boards of Rural Community Network and Habitat for Humanity and is an active volunteer for Tearfund and Armagh Talking Newspaper. She has particular experience in governance, volunteering policy and practice, managing a regional organisation, designing and delivering training, Human Resource Management, Community Development, managing Grant Programmes, Research and providing information and guidance.

6   Brendan Heaney – Diabetes UK NI

As Policy and Public Affairs Manager, Brendan has been with Diabetes UK NI since 2007.  He is active in policy development principally in Health and Education representing Diabetes UK to Government and at party conferences.  Since 2005, he has been Company Secretary for Belfast Trust for Integrated Education.  He is also a member of the Industrial Tribunals Panels since 2007, a member of the NI Government Affairs group and NICON. Other experience includes his role as a shop steward for Unite, Former President of MSF (now Unite) and a delegate to NIC ICTU, ICTU and TUC.  He was also Vice Chair of NILGOSC 2010-2012 and Chair of NILGOSC staffing committee 2006-2010.

7   Ian Jeffers - The Prince’s Trust Northern Ireland

Ian joined the Prince’s Trust as NI Director in 2009.  His role is to support the leadership team to provide first class core programmes to disadvantaged young people (almost 6,000 young people in 2015/16).  Ian is an active member of the Institute of Directors having chaired their Education and Skills Committee for 6 years, is a member of the DEL Strategic Advisory Forum, an advisory board member of the PSNI Safety Centre and CO3 member.  He has recently been appointed to the board of the Probation Board NI. With over 25 years’ experience in the private sector and over 6 years’ experience in the 3rd sector, he has a good understanding of the issues and challenges organisations in the sector face.  

8   Glenn Jordan - Law Centre (NI)

Glenn has been Director of the Law Centre since January 2015 which provides specialist legal support to organisations and disadvantaged individuals, in the areas of social security, immigration and trafficking, employment and forced labour, health and social care. Glenn was previously a Director of Skainos for 10 years and led the design and delivery of Skainos Square.  The Skainos Project is an urban regeneration project in inner East Belfast providing shared space for community transformation and renewal. Prior to this he was Director of East Belfast Mission. He has a commitment to community development work particularly involving faith groups and community relations/peace building.

9    Olwen Lyner - NIACRO        

Olwen has been CEO since 2001 having worked for NIACRO for over 30 years. Initially employed to develop youth services, she has been responsible for adult, family and youth services throughout her career. She is committed to working alongside others and has had experience in numerous voluntary and statutory partnerships. Olwen has led many policy initiatives most recently in relation to the removal of criminal records acquired before the age of 18. She has been Chair of CO3 and also sat on committees/partnership initiatives related to crime reduction and just completed a term on the East Belfast Police and Community Safety Partnership. 

10   Colleen McAuley – 1in3 Cancer Support Group

As a campaigner for 1in3 Cancer Support group, Coleen has helped to move forward a local group and to raise awareness of issues that affect local people affected by cancer. She is also involved with UEFA, the Sports Council, Newtownabbey Local Strategy Partnership, PSNI and a range of local community and voluntary groups and local government. She has delivered workshops to schools, youth clubs and community organisations.  She has an interest in community relations and strategy development for club based community development.

11   Anne-Marie McClure - Start 360

As CEO, Anne-Marie leads and manages a large regional voluntary sector organisation delivering 27 services/programmes with 102 staff across 3 key areas: Health, Employability & Justice. She is a member of the Youth Council, Executive Member of Youthnet and the NEET Forum, a Director of OCNNI and the Link Centre and a member of Children in NI. She a voluntary sector rep on the NEET Advisory Group. Anne-Marie is interested in issues regarding young people, family support, poverty, offending behaviours, adult offenders, drug and alcohol misuse, mental health, Employability, NEET, transformational practice, holistic solutions, leadership and education.    

12   Leslie-Ann Newton - Derg Valley Care

Leslie-Anne is the Director of Association for Real Change (NI), an umbrella organisation representing over 30 cross sector disability providers. Chairing strategic discussions through focused work stream meetings she leads collaborative action, addressing key challenges facing the social care sector such as the impact to the national living wage. She represents member’s views in externally facilitated meetings and sits within the All Party Learning Disability Planning group. Her roles within the voluntary sector over 18 years have required collaboration across voluntary, corporate funders and government departments. As a senior manager within Save the Children she supported the development of early intervention programmes within the organisation’s global innovation pipeline. 

13   Diane Rathfield - Roe Valley Community Education Forum

Diane is General Manager of a busy Community/Voluntary sector organisation providing programmes to address training and the up skilling of long and short term unemployed. She is current manager of the DEL employment initiative for Limavady. Her work includes Staff Management and HR processes and Procedures, Financial Planning control and forecasting, Business Development and Tendering for opportunities. She is a member of Causeway Rural and Urban Network, a member of the local NR Partnership, Limavady Learning Community and Limavady Rotary. She also is a current member of the NICVA Executive Committee.

14   Paul Roberts - Ashton Community Trust

Paul is Chief Executive of Ashton Community Trust, a community based charity working on regeneration through social enterprise set up in 1988 through a shared drive by local people. Ashton employs over 170 people in inner-city North Belfast delivering a wide range of services including: childcare, health, education, training, Fablab, community and economic development. It is recognised as one of the leading social enterprises winning Social Enterprise of the Year in 2013.  Paul chairs Inner North Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership, is a Director of Sector Matters, NICVA’s social enterprise and a member of NICVA’s Executive Committee.  Paul has a Masters in Voluntary Sector Management and NI Social Enterprise Leader of the Year in 2012 and runner-up in the UK awards.

15   Arthur Savage - Ulster Supported Employment LTD (USEL)     

Arthur is Head of the Employment Services Division of USEL overseeing the delivery of all employment support and training related programmes, supporting around 1500 people with disabilities each year. Currently USEL works with over 600 employers and 150 voluntary and community organisations across Northern Ireland. Arthur represents USEL on the European Platform for Rehabilitation in Brussels. He is also a governor at Lagan College with specific responsibility for special educational needs. He was previously a board member for the Social Economy Network (NI) and a former committee member for The Prince’s Trust NI.