Empowering families of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities
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PEOPLE

TRUSTEES

Helen Rodgers - Chair

Helen Rodgers

Chair

Helen has worked with children with disabilities and their families since 1995. She worked for 14 years within the Health Service as Thera-playgroup co-ordinator at Chichester Child Development Centre.
Chris Jay - Vice Chair

Chris Jay

Vice Chair

Born with Cerebral Palsy and a wheelchair user for over 20 years, Chris is Managing Director of Bascule Disability Training, a social enterprise specialising in disability awareness. Chris was Chairman of former disability awareness charity, Enable Me, as well as Director/Governor of Great Ballard School, a co-educational 2-13 prep school in Eartham near Chichester.
John Corr - trustee

John Corr

John is father of John who has Autism. John senior works in tour management and logistics in the music industry and has worked for some of the world’s best known artists. He has an MBA from Kingston University.
Charlotte Linington - trustee

Charlotte Linington

Charlotte works for West Sussex County Council as a Child & Family Worker in the Child Disability Team. She is an experienced care worker and has worked in the education, local authority and voluntary sectors. Charlotte grew up with her brother Phillip who had Cerebral Palsy and takes a special interest in support for siblings of disabled children.
Justin Sainsbury - trustee

Justin Sainsbury

Justin is Dad to Grace and William who has a rare metabolic genetic condition called Hurlers, that has associated complex medical and learning challenges. He has worked in a number of roles in special schools and is an advocate for projects that benefits families balancing caring responsibilities and their own well-being.
Sharon Gearing - trustee

Sharon Gearing

Sharon has over 20 years’ experience of working in charity fundraising. She is mum to Albie 8 and Lucas 11. Reaching Families training made such a difference to her and her family when Lucas was first on the pathway for his ADHD diagnosis, and so she wanted to volunteer as a Trustee to play a part in helping other families in the same position.
Jemma Paterson - trustee

Jemma Paterson

Jemma is a mum of two children, one of whom has an acquired brain injury, ADHD and ASD. She found Reaching Families to be a great support to her and her family whilst navigating her son’s additional needs and wanted to volunteer as a trustee to help others in a similar position. Jemma has worked in financial services for over 20 years and has a BA (Hons) in Economics.

STAFF

Brian O’Hagan - Director

Brian O’Hagan

Director

Brian is father to James who has Cerebral Palsy. He is responsible for the overall management of the organisation and has particular responsibility for strategic planning, project development, evaluation, fundraising and communications.
Donna Manwill - Operations Manager

Donna Manwill

Operations Manager

Donna is mum to Eddie and Joe who has High Functioning Autism. She manages the day-to-day operations of the charity and has particular responsibility for staff management, administration & HR, operational planning and policy.
Kirsty Lester - Administration and Finance Co-ordinator

Kirsty Lester

Administration & Finance Co-ordinator

Kirsty is Mum to Alexander, who passed away in September 2018 at six years old. Alexander had a rare condition and very complex health needs and disabilities. Kirsty is a qualified accountant and passionate about making a difference to families of children with SEND.
Rhiannon Leysen - Information Officer

Rhiannon Leysen

Information Officer

Rhiannon is a parent to two boys, one of whom has additional needs. She has previously worked as a Mental Health Services Co-ordinator with West Sussex Mind, where she developed a particular interest in parental wellbeing. She has a background in research and holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Sussex. She is responsible for editing Reaching Families SEND resources including our parent-carer guide, Making Sense of It All and library of factsheets.
Hannah Delmar-Addy - Outreach & Training Manager

Hannah Delmar-Addy

Outreach & Training Manager

Hannah is mum to Ella and Samuel who has High Functioning Autism with Demand Avoidant Behaviour. She is a former nurse and midwife. Having devoted 5 years exclusively to being a parent-carer she empathises with the struggles and isolation that a parent-carer experiences and is passionate about reducing this for other families.
Reina Mallett - Outreach & Training Co-ordinator

Reina Mallett

Outreach & Training Team Lead

Reina is a parent to two children, one of whom has additional needs. She has previously worked with families and children with SEND as an early years childminder. Being a parent-carer herself she understands the challenges families can face and is passionate about providing support for families with children with SEND.
Abi Van den Dyck - Outreach & Training Co-ordinator

Abi Van den Dyck

Outreach & Training Co-ordinator

Abi is Mum to 3 boys and parent-carer to her middle son Matty for 14 years, who passed away in March 2023. Matty had complex disabilities and health needs and a rare genetic disorder. She has a background and qualifications in leadership, training and development and she understands the challenges parent-carers face. Abi is passionate about helping to inform, empower and support other families, in particular with parents wellbeing.
Bodil Scrivens - Face-2-Face Project Co-ordinator

Bodil Scrivens

Face-2-Face Project Co-ordinator

As a parent-carer herself, Bodil wanted to be able to offer support to other parents with similar experiences and has been volunteering for us as a befriender for several years. She has a background in education, training & development and project management and is responsible for training new befrienders as well as supporting the existing volunteer team.
Rachel Fielding - Face-2-Face Project Co-ordinator

Rachel Fielding

Face-2-Face Project Co-ordinator

Rachel's background is in HR, specifically recruitment in the voluntary sector. After having her first daughter she moved into family liaison with national charity, Cool2Care, where she worked with families to recruit PA’s and buddies.
Sharon Burt - NDP Support Worker

Sharon Burt

NDP Support Worker

Sharon is a parent-carer to three older children one of whom has additional needs. She joins us from Early Help where she was a family support worker. She has worked with and fostered children with a wide range of additional needs for many years. Sharon is passionate that everyone should have the opportunity to fulfil their potential. Her role will be supporting families who have a child or young person on the neurodevelopmental pathway (NDP).
Alma Riggs - NDP Support Worker

Alma Riggs

NDP Support Worker

Alma has both personal and professional experience of the challenges faced by families with neurodivergent children, including navigating assessment pathways and accessing support. She joins us from Amaze where she volunteers for their SENDIAS Service. She has also worked in education providing learning support to young people with SEND. Alma is keen to utilise her knowledge, skills and experience in supporting parent-carers who have a child or young person on the neurodevelopmental pathway (NDP).