FAMILIES OUT LOUD - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- in - House Recruitment Manager
Bonnie is an in-house recruitment manager in the private sector, with active experience in learning & development and general HR.
Bridget is a qualified professional with many years' experience of working with families affected by addiction. As lead counsellor for Families Out Loud she works directly with clients to provide 1-1 counselling, family therapy and support group meetings. Bridget also supervises the team of counselling professionals who work with FOL.
As a recovering addict I was blinkered to the hurt I was causing my family. With an organisation like Families Out Loud, families and loved ones of people in addiction can get the support they richly deserve and need.
Debra brings a wealth of personal and professional experience to Families Out Loud. She was a Wiltshire College lecturer for 10 years, prior to which she worked as a customer services manager in various organisations around the south-west.
With long-term addiction affecting her own immediate family, Debra fully understands the problems faced by others in the same situation. A co-founder and strong advocate of the charity, Debra is passionate about ensuring all Wiltshire families affected by addiction get the help they need.
In her spare time Debra spends a lot of time with friends and family. She enjoys gardening, going to the gym and reading.
Dinah is a former business manager with many years' budget monitoring experience.
Job Titles:
- Fundraising Manager
- Support Team
Donna is a fundraising manager who has worked in the charity sector as a Trust fundraiser for 24 years. During this time she has raised over £40m for charitable causes. Donna lost a close friend to addiction/suicide 20 years ago and ever since has had a passion for raising awareness of addiction and how it impacts family members.
Families Out Loud offers something very rare. That rarity is to be found in the people who hold the charity and its service to families journeying with addiction. Rather than hiding issues in a shadowy corner, Families Out Loud lovingly and skilfully enable issues to be raised, and words to be spoken. In my view, they have the richest of things - a depth of compassion and knowledge that arises out of experience. I offer my total support for this unique charity in its support of families struggling to both survive and make sense of the pathways of addiction. They are a family in its truest sense - being there when the going gets tough, offering the kindness and firmness that helps each other to become more of who we are.
Fiona has worked in the field of addiction for several years. She is an experienced facilitator who is trained in safeguarding.
Ingrid is a qualified counsellor and support group facilitator with Families Out Loud. She has many years' experience working in the field of mental health.
As a mother of four children, two daughters with addiction, one in recovery and one still battling to embrace change, I am very aware of the devastating impact this can have on the family. Thirty years with an addicted family member with very little professional support, Families Out Loud was recommended to me by one of my daughters and I reached out to them for help. They have been an anchor and an amazing support to me in dealing with traumatic incidents that have occurred in the last couple of years. My thanks go to them for being there for me and for the amazing work they do to help families.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board
- Trustee
John is a retired engineer, having spent over 40 years in the refrigeration industry, designing and managing the install of systems in the retail foods sector, along with research and development of various aspects of refrigeration engineering.
In his private life John has been married for over 50 years and in his spare time enjoys walking, working his allotment and rugby, having played, coached and been a club committee member for many years. In those quiet times, he enjoys jig saws, cryptic crosswords, reading and above all, spending time with family.
John has had personal tragedy with addiction and believes passionately in the work being done by Families Out Loud. He is a co-founder and has been a Trustee and Chair since inception of the charity.
Jordan is a community mental health worker studying for her mental health nursing degree. She joined the team after receiving invaluable support from the charity.
Job Titles:
- Integrative Counsellor
- Support Team
Kathy is a qualified Integrative Counsellor with a passion for supporting others through challenging times by providing a safe space for individuals to be heard, accepted and understood. She has experience of working with a wide range of people who present with different challenges. She has worked with Wiltshire Mind and also as a residential rehabilitation counsellor with individuals and their families who are struggling with addiction.
Kathy has personal experience of the challenges addiction can bring to individuals, families and relationships. She understands how people who are supporting an addict need their own support too, as addiction impacts far more and far further than just the individual.
In her free time Kathy enjoys spending time with family, walking in nature with her dog and exploring on the motorbike.
Kayleigh is head of partnerships in an out-of-home advertising company, with ten years of contract management experience, and prior to that coordinated projects in the industry.
Job Titles:
- Psychodynamic Counsellor
- Support Team
Natasha is a qualified Psychodynamic Counsellor who supports young people and adults. She is also an experienced support group facilitator and has worked very closely with people dealing with trauma-related issues.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of Committee
- Local Healthcare Business Owner
Sara is a local healthcare business owner with many years' experience in administration and working with people.
As with many who volunteer with FOL, she has lived experience and is proud to support the important work that FOL does.
Charities that are born out of personal experience and genuine compassion provide not only a vital service to those in need, but also enrich the wider communities in which they are embedded. Families Out Loud is such a charity. Created by, and for, those understanding the impacts addiction can have on families, it provides an essential lifeline. I'm very proud to support Families Out Loud who I know are making a difference to people in our community every single day.
Susanna is a Wiltshire artist who studied at Goldsmiths College of Art and Bath School of Art. She exhibits locally and across the UK.
Susy is semi-retired from working, for many years, in the financial sector. She has an active interest in charities which support the welfare of young people and those affected by addiction.
Tanya is a qualified counsellor who has supported families and children affected by addiction in private practice, rehabilitation centres and with charities. She now feels honoured to be supporting adults and young people with Families Out Loud.
Having grown up with an alcoholic parent Tanya well knows how difficult it can be living with an addict and this is why she is so passionate about Families Out Loud. She has an insight into what clients are experiencing and how it can affect every part of life. She brings a lot of life experience to her counselling and support.
Away from work Tanya enjoys cooking, reading, going to the gym, spending time horse riding and can often be found driving a classic American Chevrolet or MGB GT to shows and meet ups with her husband.
Vicky is an integrative counsellor and support group facilitator who feels privileged to be a part of Families Out Loud. She has experience in dealing with domestic abuse, trauma and anxiety, and she is a trained mental health first aider.
Having lost friends to addiction, Vicky says "it is a real gift to be able to offer people support with navigating the emotional complexities of loving someone with an addiction. I have a passion for building relationships, offering a safe, non-judgemental space where people feel understood and supported. I love the holistic approach of FOL, how much it offers and the passion and care of all who are a part of it. It has been incredible to see how those supported by the charity have also become a part of helping it grow".
Vicky is a mother of two children, currently completing her Level 5 studies which will enable her to work with children and young adults. She enjoys spending time with friends, family and reading.