Tom Doyle
Director
Tom has been involved in
HIV and sexual health for 20 years. Before joining Yorkshire MESMAC in
1990 as the outreach worker, he was a volunteer and management group member
of Nottingham AIDS Information Project. (NAIP).
Tom worked in Community Theatre, and Theatre In Education where he developed
a strong interest in training, Community Development and Social Action. Building
on these skills he moved on to become a Social Action Broadcaster and Community
Link Worker with Radio Trent FM Careline.
He has been Director of Yorkshire MESMAC since 1993, and has steered the organisation
through its period of most rapid growth. He holds a BA in Health and Community
Care Management and a Postgraduate Diploma in ’Managing Organisational
Change’.
Tom is one of the principal authors of ‘Making
it Count’ Vols 1-3.
As well as working for Yorkshire MESMAC he has acted as a consultant to a number
of bodies in the field including, Healthy Gay Scotland, the National AIDS Trust
and The Prisons Service Directorate of Health Care. He is regularly called upon
to represent the organisation and give papers and presentations at local, national
and international conferences and other fora. [top]
Mark Thomson
Operations Manager
Mark has been working in the voluntary sector
supporting LGBT groups and those infected and affected with HIV as a volunteer
and staff member for over 20 years.
Mark joined Yorkshire MESMAC in December 2005 as the Operations Manager for the organisation. Prior to joining the Yorkshire MESMAC team Mark worked in Aberdeen as the Grampian Service Manager for PHACE Scotland setting up the service in November 2000. He also wrote and delivered the Diversity Training package for Grampian Police in line with the National Equal Opportunities Training Scheme (NEOTS). Mark has a wide range of skills he brings to Yorkshire MESMAC having worked at both a local and national level in Scotland.[top]
Pete Boyle
Community Development Worker in Leeds
Pete joined Yorkshire MESMAC as a Community
Development Worker for Leeds in October 2005. He has been a volunteer for
HIV charities for the past 3 years in Leeds and in Dublin where he was
involved in the support of clients. From volunteering Pete realised that
his passions lay with working in a community setting, particularly within
the LGBT community.
Prior to joining Yorkshire MESMAC, Pete worked in various housing and finance
roles both in Leeds and Dublin. [top]
Tom Hunt
Community Development Worker in Leeds
Tom joined Yorkshire MESMAC in January 2008 having moved from Connexions/Leeds Careers where he was working with young people's issues such as homelessness, benefits, job hunting and additional support needs.
His main interests are house DIY, looking after a moggy called George and reading loads of books! [top]
BLAST Project
Philip Mitchell
Community Development Worker
Phil is the Community Development Worker on the BLAST Project which provides help and support to boys and young men across Leeds and Bradford involved in sexual exploitation. Phil qualified as a psychotherapist/counsellor in 2006 from the University of Warwick and runs his own private practice. Phil has worked for a variety of organisations such as Terrence Higgins Trust, Freshwinds LGBT Project, Cruse Bereavement Care and Relate. Before moving to the Midlands Phil also worked on the Leeds Gay Switchboard. Phil has provided various forms of support to the LGBTQ Community and prior to working for MESMAC worked in the Midlands training various organisations in LGBTQ awareness. Phil was a member of MESMAC's Out to 25 Youth Group in the mid 90s and knows how important it is that the needs of LGBTQ communities are met. Phil spends his time between Leeds and Bradford and can be contacted on 0113 2444209 or 07921 372896. [top]
Lisa Lucas
I joined the Yorkshire Mesmac team in February 2010, as a student Social Worker on my placement. I have received a very warm welcome from all the team and been made to feel like one of the staff from the outset.
Finance/Admin Team
Claire Spracklen
Finance and Administration Co-ordinator
Claire started working at Yorkshire MESMAC
at the beginning of January 2005
as Finance/Admin Worker having had previous finance/admin roles in social housing and vocational
training. She took up the role of Finance/Admin Co-ordinator in November 2008, to act up into the role for one year. She is based in the Leeds office but does work across the whole
project. [top]
Cath Higgins Admin and Finance Worker
I have had a very warm welcome from the Yorkshire MESMAC team since starting full time in November 08. Having worked in variety of organisations I was initially struck by the way in which the staff team operate, like a well oiled machine. I have been shown consideration whilst I have been learning my new role and have already been encouraged to undertake training. To work for an organisation that values personal development is a privilege, as far too often in the private and corporate sector the profit motive takes precedence. I feel very optimistic about the year ahead and hope that I can make a worthwhile contribution to the organisation. [top]
Jonathan Cookson
Community Development Worker in Bradford
Jonathan Cookson is the Community Development Worker
for Bradford. He moved to Yorkshire in 1995 to study for an Arts
and Education degree at Bretton Hall University. After graduating he
worked as a Welfare Officer for a drug testing clinic before moving into
work with young offenders. Following this Jonathan spent 2 years working
for Barnardo’s
in a series of community based projects and realised that he really
enjoyed working in a community setting. His next position was with Leeds
City Council where he worked with families in a diverse inner city
Leeds community.
Jonathan was appointed as an LGBT Youth Worker for Yorkshire MESMAC in Bradford in September 2005 and this sparked his passion and interest for working with the LGBT community. He was thrilled to be appointed as a full time member of staff for Yorkshire MESMAC and is looking forward to making a real difference in the Bradford area. Jonathan also has counselling training and experience and a passion for the using the Arts as therapies. Jonathan loves working with people and is excited about working with you all and getting to know everyone better. [top]
Claire Bergman
Counselling Organiser
Claire joined Yorkshire MESMAC as Counselling Organiser in February, 2009. Claire is a counsellor (BACP accredited) and she has worked as a counsellor for MESMAC since 2007. She also has her own private counselling practice in Skipton (North Yorks.) Before training as a counsellor, Claire worked as a secondary school music teacher for twelve years. She has two children who are much loved. [top]
Clive Spendlove
Mental Health Wellbeing Worker
Clive has been involved Gay community building since setting up a Gay group in Wakefield in 1979. He has also been involved in various organised attempts to respond to discrimination against LGBT people and to raise awareness about sexual orientation.
He has been working as a mental health musician since 1992 and trained in mental health nursing in the mid 1990s, since when has worked in various mental health services within the Health, Social Services and Voluntary sectors - with adults and older adults.
His particular interests relating to mental health work have been: -
*working with every dimension of each person, including mental, emotional, intellectual, social, physical;
*the potential for health and personal development within active involvement with music; *relationships between health and "spirituality" [top]
James Moore
Mental Health Wellbeing Worker
James has lived in Bradford since coming to University from Northern Ireland in 1979. After qualifying as a social worker in 1983, he worked for a number of years in various social work settings dealing with adults with mental health difficulties. In 1991, he transferred to the training & development area where he worked as a Mental Health Trainer and coordinated the Training Consortium for social workers operating under the Mental Health Act. James currently also works as Mental Health Advisor for Bradford University.
As a Gay man, he was involved in the founding of Bradford Gay Switchboard in the mid 1980’s and was involved, on a voluntary capacity, with various HIV organisations in Bradford in the mid to late 1990’s. [top]
Brad Smith
Our Project Co-ordinator in Bradford
Brad joined the OUR project in September 2008.
He has lived and worked in Bradford for the past 3 years working with vulnerable adults with a range of issues including; mental health, drugs and alcohol, health, debt, homelessness, housing related p roblems and sexuality issues etc. Prior to coming to Bradford he served in the Armed Forces.
Brad is looking forward to working at the OUR project to promote healthy living, tackling stigma and educating others on matters relating to HIV and living with HIV. [top]
Wellington Moyo
Our Project Community Development Worker
I have been based at Our Project in Bradford since June 2007. I am involved in developmental work for the African communities living with HIV in the city. I am also involved in the setting-up of prevention programmes aimed at raising HIV awareness to this group of people. Before joining this organisation I used to do some work for the City Council Social Services, working with the elderly people with learning disabilities in various centres around the city. I like working with people, this kind of service really tallies with my philosophy. [top]
Gary Harkness
Local Service Co-ordinator in North Yorkshire
Gary joined Yorkshire MESMAC
in February 2002. As part of the York team working in North Yorkshire he
has developed interests in various fields. He has focused on Married Men’s
group development, and training around these particular issues. Also, Gary
has successfully put same sex relationships and domestic abuse on the agenda
in the area, working closely with other agencies.
Before joining Yorkshire MESMAC Gary worked in Leicester and spent 10 years working
as a volunteer for LASS (Leicestershire AIDS Support Services). He studied for
a degree in Mass Communication & Society and graduated from Leicester University
in 2000 with a BSc honours. He is still studying! With the support of Yorkshire
MESMAC Gary is currently working towards the ECDL at Yorkshire Coast College.
Future plans include setting up further social support groups for men in North
Yorkshire, a conference in Scarborough aimed at developing the needs for young
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Questioning (LGBQ) people in the area.
In his spare time he is seen wandering the moors with his dog Daisy, or being
let loose on a horse in Ryedale! Look out for him. [top]
Peter Blackburn
Community Development Worker in North Yorkshire
Peter joined the Yorkshire MESMAC team in July
2001, coming from a background in education both in special and mainstream
schools. He entered community development work for 8.5 years with the Rochdale
Tenants and Residents Federation.
Peter’s interests include sports, which has led to the development of sports
based groups for Yorkshire MESMAC. Peter’s personal interests include foreign
travel, a favourite destination being Goa in Southern India. On two occasions
he has visited a Sexual Health Project in Goa and met with staff and volunteers.
[top]
Ellen Hill
Community Development Worker for LGBT Youth in North Yorkshire
Ellen joined Yorkshire MESMAC in January 2005. Following her Psychology degree she spent several years working in research. This included time working in York St John College’s Social Inclusion and Diversity Unit. Here she researched the experiences of Lesbians, Gay men and Bisexual people living in rural communities (including North Yorkshire).
Whilst working in York on this research Ellen joined Yorkshire MESMAC. Working in this post for several years Ellen has been able to respond to the needs of young people across York and North Yorkshire. She has helped increase communication between service providers about issues for young LGBT people. Her training ‘Working with LGB Young People’ is consistently well evaluated.
On her list of priorities for further work are raising the profile of LGBT issues in schools across the region. This includes ensuring schools are equipped to tackle the homophobic bullying epidemic. She also continues to try and find ways for more isolated young LGBT people to have contact with each other through events and online networks. [top]
John Milner
LGBT Community Worker in Scarborough
Yorkshire MESMAC has a new Community Development Worker in North Yorkshire; John Milner. “I’m very excited to be Scarborough and Ryedale’s dedicated LGBT Community Worker” says John, who goes on to explain his role; “I will be working with LGBT people of all ages in Scarborough and the Ryedale area, either on a one to one basis or through groups. I will also be offering training to local service providers and helping to develop LGBT forums to help address the needs of the LGBT community in the area.”
“I want to work with people in every way that I can to address issues such as sexual health, sexuality, coming out, self esteem, homophobia in the community, isolation, loneliness. My priority is improving access to, and the quality of, services that our communities get. In the past these services have not always been easily available for everyone in Scarborough so I’m very proud to be working with MESMAC in the Scarborough and the Ryedale area.”
Sally Kitson
Community Development Worker for LGBT Youth in Wakefield
Sally started working for Yorkshire MESMAC in September 2005
and had been volunteering at the The Fruitbowl youth group for three months.
Her background is in retail management. Sally would like to welcome young
people across the Wakefield District to contact the service if they would
like to meet other LGBT youth, have someone to talk to in confidence or to
support them with other issues. Young people have accessed support for lots
of different things, for example support when visiting the doctors, filling
out housing forms, talking about relationships and sometimes just for a coffee
and a chat [top]
Jeff Platts
Community Development Worker in Wakefield
Jeff returned to work in the Wakefield office in August after a gap of nearly two years. Whilst away Jeff spent twelve months at college studying for a YMCA Certificate in Personal Training and is working towards incorporating these skills within his work. Jeff says “I’m really happy to be back with Yorkshire MESMAC and working in Wakefield, there are lots of interesting things happening within the organisation and it feels good to be part of it.” [top]
The Begin Project
Mark Tyson
Community Development Worker for Begin in Wakefield
Mark joined Begin on 1 st September 2008.
A graduate of Bangor University, Mark first trained to be a fitness instructor. He ran a number of popular community based fitness classes throughout Leeds and presented Master classes to instructors nationwide.
Mark then worked for Leeds City Council’s homelessness section providing advice and support to homeless people in a number of different roles. He ended his Housing career as the Customer Services Manager at the Housing Advice Centre in Leeds responsible for homelessness assessment.
He then moved on to the Democratic Services Department where he project managed the Council’s Scrutiny Board which covered Education and Social Services. His final project, working with a group of young people scrutinising bus services, won a national award from The Centre for Public Scrutiny for Good Practice in Community Engagement on 10 th June 2008. [top]
Linda Mudenda
Project Co-ordinator for Begin in Wakefield
Linda joined the staff of Begin in September 2008. Before that Linda volunteered with the Citizens Advice Bureau in Wakefield and Pontefract as a Generalist Advisor. [top]
Fruitbowl - Wakefield LGBT Youth Group Volunteers
.The Fruitbowl is not an easy project to organise and manage, but due to a fanrastic group of volunteers and their all year round commitment and help, the workers job is made easier and the young people benefit from the volunteers knowledge and support. Sally would like to take this opportunity to thank Andrew, Phil, Karen, Wayne and Laura for all the time they give up each week to attend groups and activities. They have helped and continue to help make the The Fruitbowl the project it is today. [top]
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