Our staff and trustees

Zoe provides strategic leadership, ensures financial sustainability and supports the staff team.

Zoe leads on our policy and campaign work  and is our media spokesperson .

Liz leads on researching, developing, influencing and securing new funding to help sustain the organisation and its projects.

Sam leads on the delivery of our policy and communications strategy ensuring the views and issues important to people with a learning disability are heard.

Beth supports our contribution to Welsh Government and UK policy formation and campaign activity and help communicate our work and relevant information to our stakeholders.

Gerraint works with our Policy and Communications team and supports the project Our Voice Now – Ein Llain y Awr to help young people (age 16+) understand democracy, political parties, and what they promise to do.

Kai manages our website and social media, edits our e-newsletter Llais Update, and helps our members with information enquiries.

Kai is also Development Officer for our Gig Buddies Cymru project.

Laura manages on the promotion, delivery and development of our Easy Read Service to ensure information is accessible for people with a learning disability.

Inacia writes and designs easy read documents for our clients, she works with Laura, Rhian and Julie to help run our Easy Read Service.

Julie writes and designs easy read documents for our clients, she works with Laura, Rhian and Inacia to help run our Easy Read Service.

Rhian writes and designs easy read documents for our clients, she works with Laura, Julie and Inacia to help run our Easy Read Service.

Simon manages supporting our networks and leads on the delivery of our events and training.

Iwan supports the team with administering our events and marketing and promoting our work and services.  He also ensures our continual engagement with our members, supporters and stakeholders.

Lucy supports the team with developing, organising and promoting our events and networking activity.  Lucy runs our bookings and looks after our speakers and facilitators.

Karen leads on exploring opportunities for developing new projects and sustaining funding for existing projects.

Karen manages our growing Gig Buddies Cymru project, which operates in Cardiff, north Wales and Swansea Neath Port Talbot.

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Kylie is Project Coordinator for our Gig Buddies project in south Wales.  Kylie promotes the project and recruits participants and volunteers in Cardiff.

Malan is Senior Project Coordinator leading and developing the projects work across north Wales.  Malan also promotes the project and recruits participants and volunteers in Gwynedd and Ynys Môn.

Sian is Coordinator for our Gig Buddies project in north Wales.  Sian promotes the project and recruits participants and volunteers in Denbighshire and Conwy.

John is Coordinator for our Gig Buddies project in north Wales.  John promotes the project and recruits participants and volunteers in Wrexham and Flintshire.

Victoria talks to people, organisations and the media about how Gig Buddies Cymru helps adults with a learning disability and/or autism to lead active social lives.

She promotes the project at gigs, conferences and events and helps plan social events for our project participants.

Ellie  provides administrative support to the team in north Wales and assists with events and communications support for the Gig Buddies Cymru Project.

Danielle is Project Coordinator for our Gig Buddies project in Swansea Neath Port Talbot.  Danielle promotes the project and recruits participants and volunteers.

Emma  provides administrative support to the team in south Wales and assists with events and communications support for the Gig Buddies Cymru Project.

Jo makes sure that our staff are treated fairly, we have the right policies in place and we strive for continual improvement as an employer. Jo advises the CEO and managers on human resources and governance issues, leads on staff and trustee recruitment, and works with the Chair to ensure of Board of Trustees operates effectively and in line with legal requirements.

Julie provides administrative support to the team, helps  run the office and leads on the ongoing development of our systems and processes to improve the way we work.      

Zhanar manages the monitoring and maintenance of accurate financial and accounting procedures so that the organisation is well run financially and complies with funders, charity and company law requirements.

Nicola is responsible for the day to day running of finance related tasks and assists our Finance Manager so that the organisation is well run financially and complies with funders, charity and company law requirements.

Michael helps us keep our offices clean and tidy.

Tracy’s first career was an equestrian one. Whilst working as Chief Instructor at a Riding for the Disabled centre she became curious about ‘what makes people tick’, and this has been a theme for the rest of her working life!

Tracy lives in Harlech and holds level 7 qualifications in management and equality, diversity and inclusion.  She has worked with people with learning disabilities for approx. 30 years.  She has held a variety of roles throughout her career and is currently Research and Innovation Director for KeyRing where she has worked for many years. Other roles have included outreach, business development, engagement, communication, and marketing.

Tracy has a particular interest in support for people with learning disabilities who find themselves in the Criminal Justice System and is passionate about getting the stories of people who have been poorly served by the system into the domain of decision makers.

What being a trustee means to me

I am passionate about the rights and lives of people with learning disabilities and having worked in charities for over two decades, I know the difference a good board can make! Learning Disability Wales has an ambitious vision, and I am honoured to stand shoulder to shoulder with like-minded people.

Claire is the Chief executive of Anheddau Cyf a supported living provider based in North Wales.

Having started in her late teens as a Support Worker; in the very organisation where she is now the CEO.

Claire has worked for over 30 years to attain the qualifications to lead and transform services.  Claire has a BSC in Health and Social Care, is Qualified Social Worker and Approved Mental Health Practitioner, and  has extensive experience of managing a large complex Social Services Department before returning to work in Anheddau.

Claire’s heart has always been in finding solutions to enable people to live their most active and enriched life.

With a track record for dealing with difficult situations Claire thrives on finding solutions and always keeps people’s wants and needs at the centre of everything she does, and is very excited about having the opportunity to help influence positive changes in the lives of people with a learning  disability.

What being a trustee means to me

Since starting my career as a support some 30 years ago ensuring the rights of people with a Learning Disability has always been critical to me as an individual. Having often been the lone voice in senior meetings being a trustee gives me the opportunity to be with like minded individuals ensuring that the voice and choice of individuals are at the heart of all decisions. It’s an absolute privilege to be a trustee.

Richard has worked in the care sector since 1996. His previous roles have included Support Worker, Registered Manage, Regional Manager, managing a social enterprise café providing training, Shared Lives service manager and currently is the Head of Quality and Compliance at Ategi.

Richard has held management roles since 2004. He has also delivered various training subjects to equip employees with the knowledge and skills to undertake their roles effectively.

Richard has worked with various client groups including people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, people with mental ill health and older people to name a few.

Richard has a passion for providing outstanding care and support and strives to embed his strong values and work practices within the services he is involved in to ensure that people live their best lives, their way!
Richard holds continuous improvement at the forefront of all he does.

What being a trustee means to me

Since I started my career in care in my (late) teens I have always held close my values of supporting people to maintain as much choice, control, autonomy and independence as possible. The role of Trustee means that I can share my passion and commitment to ensuring my values and voices of people with a disability are central to any support provision.

It is a privilege and an honour to be elected as a trustee at Learning Disability Wales.

Jonathan worked in the Social Care field for over 30 years in different settings across Wales.

Jonathan started his career in direct care and support working with adults with a learning disability. Working in the delivery of care and support has been invaluable in understanding the key challenges and opportunities people see and ‘what matters’ for them.

Jonathan is Chief Officer, Social Care, Wrexham Social Services. Previously he was  the Transformation Director for Children and Adult Social Care in Welsh Government. Prior to this role he was the Director of Social Services for Pembrokeshire County Council and a former President of the Association of Directors of Social Services Cymru from April 2021.

Jonathan is passionate about the opportunity for positive change and innovation and by working collaboratively with people, communities and other agencies to promote independence and wellbeing.

What being a trustee means to me

I am very pleased to be joining as a Trustee at Learning Disability Wales and am looking forward to working with the organisation and everyone involved in making Wales ‘the best country in the world for people with a learning disability to live, learn, love and work’.  I hope I can bring my experience to the trustee role and stand collectively to uphold and protect the rights for adults with a learning disability.

Nadine’s inspiration is her son Tommy. At the age of 2 he was diagnosed with Autism and later Profound Multiple Learning Disabilities.  Nadine says – “as a parent of a child with significant needs, I found myself completely thrown in at the deep end with very little support. After a steep learning curve in 2010, I founded the charity The Autism Directory, now known as Autistic Minds, with the mission to help autistic individuals and their families get the help they need”.

In her professional life, Nadine has 40 years of experience in business management and consulting, having worked with Accenture and the senior management teams of some of the major blue-chip companies in the UK, including BT, Prudential and Pfizer. For 4 years Nadine also held a directorship for a London-based consultancy, and continues to run her own business today. Her expertise is in developing people and business through the management of change; whether that is business change in terms of the people, processes and technology that’s required to meet an organisation’s goals, or the change needed to improve someone’s overall experience of life.

As an accredited Coach, Trainer and NLP Master Practitioner, Nadine helps people from a range of backgrounds to achieve their personal and business goals, and as a result to live happier, more balanced and fulfilled lives.

What being a trustee means to me

Being a Trustee of Learning Disability Wales allows me the opportunity to share my knowledge and experience from my life bringing up my son, and navigating the systems and organisations needed to secure his needs for the rest of his life.  Also to use my business and the third sector experience for the benefit of all those the charity supports.

Rhian is Chief Executive Officer of Drive and has worked with people with a learning disability for more than 20 years.

Georgia is  looking forward to sharing her own valuable insights of having a learning disability while equally making sure other people with learning disability experiences are highlighted and included in conversations.

Georgia says – “my lived experience of having both a learning disability and neurodivergence means I know first-hand the obstacles and barriers I and other individuals with a learning disability face in our daily lives. I know that having a learning disability means we are far too often left out of important and valuable discussions and conversations that surround our needs, and we are often given minimal input and say into decisions that involve and impacts our lives and future. I hope I can bring awareness of the positive and negative experiences that comes along with having a learning disability while also being able to help shape and make positive impactful changes in all areas of our lives”.

What being a trustee means to me

I am honoured to have been selected as a trustee of such an incredible organisation Learning Disability Wales.  As a trustee it is important to me that I am giving a voice to a diverse range of people with a learning disability, and this will be at the heart of what I do to make everybody everywhere will be more inclusive for all disabled people thanks you for this fantastic opportunity.

Adele  embarked on a career training to teach adults with a learning disability during the implementation of the All Wales Strategy, in the late 80’s.

After briefly working with and receiving training from the newly formed Challenging Behaviour Team, she assumed the role of Peripatetic Instructor with the Community Team for Learning Disabilities in Llanelli.

Parenting and advocating for her third child, who is learning disabled, has been her most significant learning curve. Through this journey, she has developed a deep understanding of the importance of the social model of disability and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People (UNCRDP). Now completely convinced for the necessity of inclusive education, as described in the UNCRDP.

Driven by her own experiences of isolation, Adele founded an online peer support group for parent carers called ‘Joining the Dots’. This platform provides a space where parent carers can seek and offer support to one another.

Adele has dedicated her time to volunteering and co-production with numerous groups and boards, such as Swansea Co-production Network, Swansea Parent Carer Forum, West Glamorgan Regional Partnership Board, the Children’s Commissioner for Wales Adult Advisory Panel, and Human Rights Stakeholder Group for Wales.

What being a trustee means to me

I am incredibly excited to support Learning Disability Wales in driving change for future generations of learning disabled children and young people. I firmly believe that inclusive education is the key to making this vision a reality.

James is on the Board of Directors for All Wales People First and the West Wales Partnership Board.

James is employed as Accessible Health Check Champion for Pembrokeshire working alongside Champions in Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion.   He also volunteers for a learning disabilities media project called Barod Media on their podcasts and Easy Read news reels.

James has been a member of many boards in Wales being a voice for people with Learning disabilities, these include:

• Member and Chair of Pembrokeshire Peoples First for 6 years
• Chair of Pembrokeshire Partnership Board.
• Member of the National Council for All Wales People First
• Member of the Dream Team -a group of people with learning Disabilities from Ceredigion Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. Working together to change the way local authorities work

James has also worked for Barod CIC helping with ‘Assist My Life’ an  app to help people be more independent when out in the community.

What being a trustee means to me

For me being a trustee means I can get to know the staff and make new friends, learn how the organisation works and make new connections with other members who are part of  the projects and also the campaigning side will show me what other people in Wales want to see better in the future.  I am looking forward to working with you.

After studying Criminology and getting my degree, Lynne tells us she struggled getting her dream job in youth offending. Lynne say: “I’d been a sessional and reparational worker for a few months but nothing permanent. That’s when I fell into social care. I’ve now worked for Pobl (now Codi Group) for just over 20 years, starting from an assistant support worker on the Abergavenny peripatetic team, gaining experience in all roles, progressing into management that lead me to my role as inclusion and assistive technology officer today.

I’ve always been passionate about enabling people to live their best lives, thinking outside of the norm and challenging barriers and ideologies. I love that I am able to give individuals a voice and finding technologies that enhance their lives so they can live them to their potential. My greatest achievement so far has been enabling a young person to be skilled and confident enough to leave 24/7 supported living to live independently in the town they had always wanted to live in with no paid support any longer.

What being a Trustee means to me

Being part of Learning Disability Wales is exciting. It gives me an opportunity to be a part of supporting others to achieve aspirations and watch how initiatives develop. From being in social care it has given me great insight into the challenges of today for people with a learning disability and being part of the trustees allows me to advocate and hearing the voice of those with a disability.

Ann is a volunteer for Your Voice Advocacy helping to run social events and supporting others to take part.

Ann is a trainer, she’s completed the ‘train the trainer’ course and holds the Paul Ridd award for delivering training independently.

Ann has delivered training on learning disability and marriage and learning disability awareness for healthcare professionals.  Ann also volunteers with the Ambulance service and gives presentations to learning disability groups.

What being a trustee means to me

Being a trustee of Learning Disability Wales is important to me as I want to give people with a learning disability a voice.  It is also important to me that easy read information is available to everyone with a learning disability.

Andrea Meek has worked across learning disability research and services for over 30 years.

She was a Research Associate at the National Centre for Mental Health, Cardiff University and has been involved in the research and development of Supported Employment and Supported Internship projects in Wales for over 20 years, working to help people with Learning Disabilities gain paid work, and to understand what works in helping young people with a learning disability transition from education to adult life.

Andrea specialises in accessible interviewing and co-production, with a strong focus on ensuring that the results of research are accessible to everyone. Recently Andrea became Job Coach at Coleg y Cymoedd working with young people with learning disabilities and/or autistic young people in Supported Internships. Andrea is also founding member and Director of the Welsh Centre for Learning Disability Inclusive Research, a Community Interest Company promoting research led by people with learning disabilities.

What being Trustee means to me

Learning Disability Wales has always been an organisation which I have had great respect for because of its values and passion ensuring people with a Learning Disability are at the heart of everything they do. I am honoured and excited to be able to contribute to the work of learning Disability Wales as a Trustee.

Kristin has learned the true meaning of words like ‘inclusion’ and ‘equality’ through her lived experience as a mother and carer to her son, Gwilym, and her three daughters. Since Gwilym was born in 2015 with Down syndrome, Kristin has consistently challenged the low expectations that systems and institutions can place on children with disabilities.

Whether in healthcare, education or wider society, she refuses to accept that disability should determine the path a person is expected to take through life. Through advocating for Gwilym, Kristin has gained many years of experience navigating complex systems, challenging assumptions and making sure that he is included, given opportunities and treated equally alongside his peers.

Kristin is passionate about amplifying the voices of disabled people and highlighting the barriers they face, many of which can remain invisible to those without direct experience of disability.

She combines this lived experience with a professional background in photography and communication and has a particular awareness of how disabled people are represented, seen and understood. Kristin holds a Master’s degree in Documentary Photography and has worked as a clinical photographer within the NHS. She believes that authentic visibility and representation can play an important part in challenging perceptions and changing expectations.

Kristin also shares her family’s story through social media, documenting Gwilym’s challenges and achievements as well as the ordinary, joyful and very full life he leads. Their story is now followed by a worldwide audience of more than 15,000 people.

What being Trustee means to me

Being a Trustee of Learning Disability Wales, I will bring my personal and professional experience, a willingness to ask questions and the confidence to challenge assumptions. I am equally committed to listening and learning from others and, most importantly, I believe that people with a learning disability themselves must be at the centre of decisions that affect their lives.

Stephen was a Senior Lecturer and Honorary Lead in Learning Disability Employment at the National Centre for Mental Health at Cardiff University. Stephen has been a researcher in the field of learning disabilities for more than 30 years carrying out research on policy and social care services. His research has always emphasised finding practical solutions that enhance the quality of life of people with a learning disability. More recently he has worked on supported employment to help people gain paid work, and also to understand best practice in helping young people with a learning disability transition from education to adult life. In all of this Stephen has focused on evidence-base best practice and on “what works”.

What being an Adviser means to me

I am very pleased to be an Adviser to Learning Disability Wales. This is a time of great opportunity for people with a learning disability but there are also major threats to their services, their independence and their health. I am honoured to be able to contribute to Learning Disability Wales’ work  as an evidence-based organisation and to help them address the rights of people with a learning disability.

Steve is retired as Chief Executive Officer for Perthyn.

Steve has held a number of senior positions in organisations working in the social care sector. Particular skills he brings to Learning Disability Wales are financial management, administration and strategic planning and a knowledge of the organisation from being a trustee for many years.