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Newsletter July 08
Who we are
Oliver McGeachy - Chief Executive
Oliver McGeachy has lived in and around Guildford for the past 20 years. He started his working life as a journalist on local newspapers in his native Dunbartonshire and went on to develop his career in PR, marketing and publishing, mainly in Edinburgh and London, until the mid 1980’s.
Oliver has always been active on both the Surrey and national voluntary sector scenes. He was, for a number of years, a Trustee and Vice Chair of Oakleaf Enterprises. He was Vice Chair of the South West Surrey Community Health Council until it was disbanded a few years ago and he served on various health and social services-based working groups and committees in the County over the years, including the West Surrey Health Authority Mental Health Directors Group.
At a national level he has worked on a consultancy basis for a number of Government departments, was a member of the National Users and Carers Group throughout it’s lifetime and was author of a parliamentary paper on the activities of the NUCG.
Oliver is passionate on three particular fronts – service user consultation and involvement promoting the role of the of the voluntary sector within the community, and encouraging more effective joint working and networking between the statutory and voluntary sectors. These are all issues which he will carry forward into Headway Surrey.
Jacqueline Potter - Services Co-ordinator
Jacqui was born in Guildford and apart from the years spent training in Kingston, continues to live in her home town. Jacqui is a qualified nurse and spent time at Surrey University gaining further qualifications in community nursing and in teaching nursing students.
Jacqui has worked as a staff nurse at the Royal Surrey County Hospital and as a community nursing sister in the Farncombe and Godalming areas of Surrey.
She joined Headway in January 1997 and although having very little experience of working with this client group has relished the challenges it has provided.
Jacqui is responsible for co-ordinating client based services, including the centre in Guildford and has tried to expand the range of cognitive activities undertaken. She is passionate about supporting this client group and is keen to help individuals achieve more than they first thought they could.
Jacqui feels she has the essential qualities required for a co-ordinator namely empathy, patience, good communication and organisational skill and a sense of humour! She has always tried to encourage individuals in their move towards greater independence, though some would say she is bossy!
Jacqui is currently developing a training package for support workers and has recently been undertaking further study to gain the relevant qualifications for teaching adults.
Lee Bennett – Community Support Co-ordinator
Lee has worked for Headway Surrey since September 2003 after studying Applied Psychology and Sociology for four years at the University of Surrey. As part of his university placement Lee worked within a mental health setting as an Assistant Psychologist at Wingfield Assertive Outreach Clinic, working with adults on an individual and group basis. Lee has also worked for St Faiths and Pilgrim Housing which supported and cared for young children and their mothers from challenging backgrounds.
Lee is passionate for each head injured person to maximise individual potential through the promotion of independent living skills. Lee hopes that each client can achieve community re-integration through education, training, employment or leisure activity.
Away from work Lee is a fitness fanatic and is currently training for the London marathon which he will run for Headway Surrey on April 23rd, any donations welcome! Lee fits marathon training in alongside football, gym and playing the guitar, a pretty hectic lifestyle then!
Vivienne Gilmour – Care / Rehab Assistant
Vivienne Gilmour was born in Worplesdon, grew up in Guildford, and lived in London for about 20 years and is now back in Guildford. Her background is really theatre based. She trained at Guildford School of Acting and spent the next 20 years in musicals in the West End, also fitting in T.V. shows, films, cabaret and choreography. She would also travel down to Guildford every Saturday morning to teach ballet, therefore keeping up her teaching qualifications.
Vivienne’s Introduction to HEADWAY was via her daughter, about 12 years ago. She happened to see a poster in the local bakery. Her daughter at the age of 2 was let out of a hall where she was teaching and ended up being knocked down by a car. She suffered a severe brain injury, but they had to wait for the next 12 years before they ‘happened’ to come across HEADWAY.
Vivienne still teaches dance, to keep up her teaching qualifications.
Clare Balchin – Administrator
Clare’s previous background has been working as special needs assistant in an infant school, working as an administrator / manager for a local sales company and before this worked as a call handling operator for Surrey Police.
Clare’s role at Headway Surrey can be quite varied with anything from telephone calls, supporting other members of the team, to dealing with the plumber when the drains are blocked! She can be typing up reports for care managers, updating the database with new enquires dealing with paperwork for volunteers or members.
Clare is currently involved in the administration for the runners for the London Marathon and applying for funding applications, she has also been learning our accounts package and with the help of one of our valued volunteers is learning how to keep the website updated.
She enjoys having the occasional cup of tea and a chat with the members and feels it is important to get to know the people who benefit from our valuable services here, and for members to get to know the people who work ‘behind the scenes’.
Andrea Heels – Support Worker
Andrea joined the Headway Surrey Team in August 2007 and her role is to provide support here at Headway House and out in the community. Andrea will also be running the Friday Drop In at Headway House.
Originally from Yorkshire Andrea has lived in Surrey for almost 20 years.
Although bringing up her 3 children has been her main priority Andrea has always fitted in part time work around her family. Whilst volunteering with people suffering from terminal illness Andrea decided to train as a Reflexologist and after she qualified she set up her own business working from her treatment room at her home in Woking and out in the community. Alongside this Andrea gained experience in the field of Mental Health when she worked at the Abraham Cowley Unit Day Hospital as an Occupational Therapy Assistant.
Having supported her husband in setting up a new Website Design Business Andrea decided it was time for a new challenge. . . Headway Surrey.
Andrea has been involved with Brain Injury on a close personal level and believes this gives her a degree of insight especially with families and Carers although she would be the first to say she is learning all the time.
Andrea is delighted to be part of The Team here at Headway Surrey
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Top of the page Last updated on 08/10/2007