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Our Staff

Diane Holt

Director
Diane’s journey with whole life mission and community development began in 1996 when she was asked to develop what became The Link Family and Community Centre, enabling Christians in Newtownards, Co. Down to engage more effectively with local community need. During that time, she was trained in the Church Community mobilisation process by Tearfund and successfully enabled a number of churches to engage with their local community. In 2011 she moved to Tearfund full time as Church in Community Advisor with their IMPACT UK team. She then spent 3 years supporting leaders in Africa with ministries of peace and reconciliation as part of the Inspired Individuals Programme. It became obvious that there was much learning for the Church in Ireland from Christians in Africa. She is passionate about Church Community Transformation and supporting and enabling Christian leaders to fulfil their vision. She is married to Alan and has two children, Sam and Iona.

Louise Mitchell

Development Manager
Louise’s professional background is largely within the charity sector with previous roles covering fundraising, campaigning, training, mental health support, and event, volunteer and project management. She has been part of many committees from community development work to Stormont’s All Party Group for unpaid carers. She currently chairs the PTA of one of her children’s schools and has written a number of grant applications in a voluntary capacity. She is passionate about social justice and encouraging churches to understand it as an integral part of their faith. Louise lives in east Belfast with her husband David, two kids, Maria (11) and Matthew (9) and needy cocker spaniel, Mango.

Wilma Harkness

Administration and Finance Support
Wilma worked for 30+ years in public sector audit. She lives in Belfast with her husband William. They have two daughters and three grandchildren

Derek Poole

Voluntary Programme Facilitator
Derek has been involved in the work of faith-based community development and peace-building for over 40 years and has initiated a range of leadership development and grass roots programmes designed to address the nature and causes of the Conflict in Northern Ireland. Derek was Director of The LINC Project, a Christian community-based organisation active in good relations, community development and conflict transformation initiatives. Before that he worked for ECONI (Evangelical Contribution on Northern Ireland) which became “Contemporary Christianity” in Northern Ireland. He has travelled internationally and worked in Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Cambodia with communities involved in issues of ethnic conflict. He holds a masters degree in Irish Studies and has trained in mediation, conflict resolution, group dynamics and leadership development. He is currently exploring the themes of culture and identity as causes of conflict.

Board Of Directors

Glen Mitchell

Glen is Innovation Lead (fundraising) for Tearfund, and as a former church leader is passionate about seeing the local church transform communities whether at home or further afield

Sam Moore

Is the Ireland Director of Innovista, based in Dublin. Innovista Ireland work with churches and other organisations to equip leaders with the skills for local mission.

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    They also run a schools leadership and mentoring programme called RISE. Sam has a theology masters, considerable experience in leadership training, leading teams, facilitation, and content creation. He helped write Innovista’s Tempo Leadership Course which runs in several countries. Sam is involved in leadership in his local church, serves on the Resident’s Association committee and tries to find time to keep an allotment going. He is married to Emily, a volunteer manager in an inner city Dublin charity and they have two small children.

Tom Coard

Treasurer

Tom started working life as Tax Officer for Inland Revenue, progressed to Tax Consultant with Coopers & Lybrand and moved to Voluntary and Community Sector in 1991.

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    Since then, he has worked in a variety of organisations, local and national, in finance and administration. Tom has served a number of Boards and Committees with Voluntary and Community organisations including Disability Action, Citizens Advice Belfastnand Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board for NI. He was the Chairman of Belfast Philharmonic Society and continues to sing in the choir.

Rev. Useni Sibanda, Zimbabwe

Rev. Useni Sibanda is the executive director of the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance,

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    a national network of church leaders, Christians, women and young people who are passionate about social justice, governance and peace building.Zimbabwe Christian Alliance’s mission is a transformation of Zimbabwe through biblical advocacy, activism and conflict transformation. The organisation is contributing towards a just, prosperous and peaceful nation. Rev. Sibanda is part of the twelve leaders who started the Christian Alliance network, which now covers the whole country, and has thousands of members who are Christians committed to nation building and transformation. The work is focused on empowering church leaders and local churches to be transformative agents that will use biblical models and framework to influence policies, governance and to transform conflicts. Rev. Sibanda has a weekly religious programme on Zimbabwe Voice of America Radio Station, Studio 7. He is a graduate from the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies and is a graduate of Tearfund’s Inspired Individuals Programme. He is married to Olivia and they have three children, one boy and two girls.

Stephen Adams

Has over 36 years in Healthcare management and several voluntary interests have taken much of his time since “retirement”.

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    He Chaired the Tearfund NI National Advisory Committee, and input into the Global Fundraising Committee for Tearfund UK. Stephen works on a voluntary basis for Contemporary Christianity and Irish Baptist Networks and is also on the Board of Third Space (Dublin)  He enjoys hill walking, cooking and gardening!
 

Chris Thompson

Chair Board of Directors
Chris is NI Director for International NGO Tearfund. He has spent over 15 years mobilising churches for mission, both local and global. He loves to talk about running, and how generosity changes the world!

Barbara Smith

Vice Chair

Barbara has worked for over 22 years in the community and voluntary sector and is passionate about the partnership of local church and community.

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    For the last six years she managed the Scaffolding Project, an anti-poverty project at EastSide Partnership.

    The Project delivered a strategic approach to alleviating the impact of poverty in East Belfast in collaboration with key stakeholders. It developed innovative and sustainable support programmes and took action to address root causes of poverty e.g. (Real Living Wage campaign).

Nicola Temple

Nicola has 25 years experience in community development, 13 years of which have been at senior leadership level within a large and well recognised NGO.

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    Nicola has led teams, programmes and coached and mentored individual leaders. She is passionate about seeing people overcome adversity, find their God-given potential and thrive together with others as part of flourishing families and communities.   .