Trustee Pen Pictures
Jonathan Rennison (Chair)
Jonathan has been working in the voluntary sector for over 10 years. His career began working with a small international development NGO working with street and working children in Ethiopia. His role in Ethiopia was concerned with training, research and capacity building of local partner organisations on the psychosocial needs of children at risk, with a special focus on street and working children.
Jonathan continued to maintain a focus on children throughout his career and worked extensively with children and young people in war torn countries. Much of this work focussed on providing children and young people with direct psychosocial support. However, all of this work continued to be with local partner organisations. A key part of his work with local organisations was strengthening their capacity to be able to respond to the emerging needs they were identifying. Jonathan designed and developed training programmes on needs identification, project planning, budgeting, fundraising, financial management, good governance, as well as developing training that focussed on their project activities for children and young people.
After nine years overseas, which took Jonathan to a wide range of countries (Afghanistan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, East Timor, Burma to mention a few) he returned home and took up his current role in fundraising for Royal Mencap. In making the transition to working in the UK again he was keen to find a role that would enable him to build on his background in psychology, organisational development, and supporting those whose rights are often at best neglected and at worst ignored and abused. In working with organisations that support people with a learning disability he has now found a very satisfying role. In becoming a trustee of VOICE UK Jonathan is keen to support them to develop and grow in order to provide their essential services those who need them.
Anita Harris (Treasurer)
Anita Harris, Senior Manager of the Responsiveness and Accountability Workstream, Department of Health, is responsible for patient support and involvement. This includes acting as the national policy lead for PALS and ICAS and also leading on complaints.
Anita's connection with the NHS and health began as a nurse in the Midlands more than 20 years ago, although family commitments took her away from the sector for a few years, during which time she was involved in launching an advocacy and support service for the families of serving military personnel. Recently Anita has worked in both the private and education sectors, qualifying and specialising in organisational development, quality assurance and complex project and contract management. She returned to health in 2003, with the advent of PPI, working firstly for the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health, then moving across to the Department of Health in 2004.
Anita is currently leading the project to implement a single complaints process across health and social care, by 2009, following the commitment outlined in the recent White Paper. The project, entitled Individual Voices for Improvement, is allowing all major stakeholders, including PALS, to input into the design and implementation of the new arrangements.
Janet Solomons (Vice-Chair)
Janet originally studied Social Policy at the London School of Economics and then went on to work as a Probation Officer. She later took an MA in Social Policy. After a career break to bring up four sons, including one with a severe learning disability, she returned to work to set up a new Crossroads Care Attendant Scheme supporting carers of people with disabilities. This followed many years of working in the voluntary sector including being active in the local Mencap and a member of a Community Health Council. At this time she also wrote an information booklet to help parents of children with a learning disability.
She then moved into Social Services to set up a Family Link scheme which recruited and supported families who could offer respite care to a child with a disability. Her next job was as team manager to start a new specialist social work team for children and adults with a learning disability. She then became the learning disability Divisional Manager, taking on a commissioning and purchasing role before finally acting into a newly formed position as Partnership Manager for the learning disability Service. She was also the lead officer for Adult Protection.
Since taking early retirement in September 2001 Janet has worked as an Independent Learning Disability Consultant, and taught social work students. She is currently an independent visitor to a respite home for children with disabilities, and also a guide at the British Museum.
Janet has been a trustee of VOICE UK since 2003 and is now Vice-Chair of the organisation.
Betty Fisher
Betty is the parent of a son aged 37, who has both physical and learning disabilities. She also has a daughter, now married, who has specific learning difficulties.
In 1994 her son was sexually assaulted, the effects of which have been devastating for all her family.
At the time of the incident she was in her first six months at University undertaking a Master's Degree in Social Work. Although she ultimately qualified as a social worker she was never able to practice, due to the after effects of the assault.
In a past life Betty started working as a secretary; she has run her own businesses (even working a market stall!). Betty has done a lot of voluntary work - including running a Specialist Swimming Club; and wardening for the Youth Hostels Association - she loves walking.
Mandy Sanghera
Has been involved with VOICE UK for nine years and has been a trustee for seven years. She became involved with VOICE UK as she wanted to support people with learning disabilities from the Black and Minority Ethnic who have suffered abuse.
Mandy has been working for Coventry Social Services for nine years; she runs an Outreach Team as the Senior of that team. Mandy supports people who do not fit into mainstream services, for example forensic, complex clients who have behavioural problems, clients with Autism or Asperger Syndrome, clients who misuse substances, clients with mental health problems, ADHD, parents with learning disabilities.
Mandy has also been working with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Home office in respect of forced marriages of vulnerable adults. She has done training and workshops on this subject for a wide range of organizations for example the Crown Prosecution Service, the Police, Guardianship Office, The Law Society, Social Services and Local Health Authorities and spoken at many conferences.
Mandy is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Patron Member of the United Nations Association of the United Kingdom. Mandy has recently been invited to become a member of the Women's Institute. And over the years she has won and been nominated for awards for her work on forced marriages.
Mandy speaks three Asian languages Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu and can read some Braille and sign in Makaton.
Robert Dart
Robert is a professionally qualified manager and has worked for several organisations in the not-for-profit sector over the last ten years. Robert currently works as a Regional Service Manager for the Royal College of Nursing. His roles have focussed on the delivery of services and administrative support to donors and members through managing customer-facing teams. Prior to this, he spent eight years working with major corporate customers in the banking sector. Robert's key skills include an in-depth knowledge of customer service best practice, experience of planning at both strategic and operational levels, setting and monitoring budgets and implementing performance standards and monitoring programmes.
Outside work, Robert is married with two daughters. He regularly leads worship at the church he attends and is studying to become an accredited lay preacher. Robert also plays the saxophone and enjoys swimming and reading.
Hazel Morgan
Ever since the birth in 1977 of her younger son, Peter, who had Down's syndrome, Hazel has been committed to promoting the rights of people with learning disabilities, as a family carer, and after Peter's death in 1995, as a professional.
She retired in June 2006 from her role as Co-Director of the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities (part of the Mental Health Foundation) where she led on policy. She is now an independent consultant and an associate of the Foundation.
She has written numerous articles and in 1990, her book, 'Through Peter's Eyes' was published, describing the first twelve years of Peter's life.
Anthony Noun
Prior to joining the Audit Commission Policy Unit, Anthony was the External Relations Manager at the Commission where he was the health campaign lead and also a specialist on public affairs issues.
Before joining the Policy Unit Anthony's background was in communications, particularly influencer relations. Anthony has six years' experience in various in-house and consultancy roles and working with a range of well-known organisations within the public, private and voluntary sectors. These include Microsoft, Dell and Mencap.
Prior to joining the Commission, Anthony was the Parliamentary Manager and adviser to Lord Rix in the House of Lords. Previously, he worked as a researcher to an MP.
Ed Reavley
Ed Reavley is the Witness Service Co-ordinator at Newcastle Crown Court, one of the busiest in the country. He worked for a spell as a journalist after leaving university. He then joined the Scottish Office in Edinburgh as a civil servant, where he remained for 25 years until taking early retirement in 1996. Ed is divorced with four daughters and four grandchildren.
HELPLINE:
0845 122 8695
Helpline Text Number: 07797800642
CONTACT DETAILS
VOICE UK
Rooms 100-106
Kelvin House
RTC Business Centre
London Road
DERBY DE24 8UP
Phone: 01332 291042
Fax: 01332 207567
Email: voice@voiceuk.org.uk
