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Meet the Team

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Photo of Abby Thompson

Abby Thompson

Volunteering Development Manager
abby.thompson@durhamcommunityaction.org.uk
07904 009782

Abby is DCA’s management lead in volunteering, safeguarding, community resilience, training, and growing organisations.  She oversees all volunteer centre and volunteering support services. Providing leadership and representing community interests into various thematic partnerships in County Durham and the region including safeguarding partnership boards (Children’s & Adults) and convenes VCS Safeguarding network.

Photo of Allison Lishman

Allison Lishman

Support Officer (Volunteering and Data)
allison.lishman@durhamcommunityaction.org.uk
07947 365259

Allison supports the work of DCA through the signposting of initial enquiries, dealing with bookings for events and training and ensuring all our contact data is regularly updated.  She supports organisations to access and promote their volunteering opportunities on the County Durham Volunteering Platform and to participate in all of the VCS networks that DCA facilitates.

Photo of Charlotte Linton

Charlotte Linton

Volunteering Specialist
charlotte.linton@durhamcommunityaction.org.uk
07960 210665

Charlotte provides specialist knowledge on volunteering management and good practice in working with volunteers. Charlotte delivers training, develops guides and videos on accessing advice from DCA on volunteering and supports and facilitates regular meetings of the County Durham Volunteer Coordinators Forum. She also ensures that quality is embedded in DCA’s Volunteer Centre service.

Photo of Craig Hampton

Craig Hampton

Community Development Officer
craig.hampton@durhamcommunityaction.org.uk
07960 214537

Craig provides a primary contact point for a broad range of community services, including practical help, support, advice, and training, for small front-line VCS organisations, social enterprises, informal volunteer-led groups, and volunteers in County Durham. He develops and supports networks, and generates and provides expertise and opportunities for training, start-up and operational development.

Photo of Fiona Christian

Fiona Christian

Community Partnerships Manager
fiona.christian@durhamcommunityaction.org.uk
07496 461997

Fiona is DCA’s management lead in community spaces support services., She oversees support needs for organisations including Hallmark assessments and capacity building within warm spaces. Providing  leadership and representing community interests into various thematic partnerships in County Durham and the region including climate change and the environment, poverty and cost of living and funding support.

Photo of Helen Brown

Helen Brown

Community Resources Specialist
helen.brown@durhamcommunityaction.org.uk
07496 461961

Helen provides a specialism within DCA in promotion and communications for information from DCA and on behalf of partners to VCS organisations. She plans and delivers events and forums and ensures that DCA’s website and social media is regularly updated sharing news from across the VCS.  She also takes a lead around DCA’s IT and data collection.

Photo of Isla Ballard

Isla Ballard

Community Development Officer
isla.ballard@durhamcommunityaction.org.uk
07496 461986

Isla provides a primary contact point for a broad range of community services, including practical help, support, advice, and training, for small front-line VCS organisations, social enterprises, informal volunteer-led groups, and volunteers in County Durham. She holds a specialism in support of community spaces in advice around the environment and climate change. 

Photo of Kate Burrows

Kate Burrows

Executive Director
kate.burrows@durhamcommunityaction.org.uk
07904 009985

Kate leads the team at DCA working closely with our Trustees and partners to ensure informed delivery across the full range of our services.  Kate brings valuable insight from a national, regional, and local perspective through Participation in partnership boards and networks.  She holds the role of Chair with Advice in County Durham and works with senior managers of VCS organisations in County Durham through the Better Together Forum.

Photo of Katie Baggott

Katie Baggott

Community Resources Support Officer
katie.baggott@durhamcommunityaction.org.uk
07951 508513

Katie supports DCA communications, particularly social media, and ensures that updates and messaging around themes or awareness raising are shared across our networks.  She also supports our external events working with partners to ensure these run smoothly and offers her expertise in podcasting and interviewing staff and volunteers about their involvement in VCS organisations.

 

Photo of Lyndsey Hocking

Lyndsey Hocking

Community Development Officer
lyndsey.hocking@durhamcommunityaction.org.uk
07496 461966

Lyndsey provides a primary contact point for a broad range of community services, including practical help, support, advice, and training, for small front-line VCS organisations, social enterprises, informal volunteer-led groups, and volunteers in County Durham. She provides expertise by developing and supporting a Community Growing and Food Network forum.

Photo of Nicole Kirby

Nicole Kirby

Community Support Manager
nicole.kirby@durhamcommunityaction.org.uk
07904 009619

Nicole is DCA’s management lead in health and wellbeing outreach services.  She oversees all DCA’s work with regional and national health and wellbeing and also digital inclusion services. Providing leadership and representing community interests into various thematic partnerships in County Durham and the region including health and wellbeing, digital inclusion, integrated health, and social care.

Photo of Susan Fern

Susan Fern

Healthy Communities Projects Lead
susan.fern@durhamcommunityaction.org.uk
07983 700581

Susan provides a specialism around health and wellbeing with a focus on voluntary and community sector involvement linking health professionals into DCA and the wider sector’s work. She looks for the opportunity to provide a greater understanding on both sides and leads on a range of projects that support health and wellbeing within County Durham.  

Photo of Susan Garrett

Susan Garrett

Health and Wellbeing Coordinator
susan.garrett@durhamcommunityaction.org.uk
07951 508521

Susan provides a specialism around health and wellbeing with a focus on voluntary and community sector involvement linking health professionals into DCA and the wider sector’s work.  She looks for the opportunity to provide a greater understanding on both sides and facilitates a regular Social Prescribing and Link Workers network with regular themed meetings and involves relevant speakers.

Photo of Susan Tron MBE

Susan Tron MBE

Community Development Officer
susan.tron@durhamcommunityaction.org.uk
07496 461998

Susan is our Rural Housing Enabler working in villages and smaller settlements to boost the supply of affordable rural housing. She also provides a primary contact point for a broad range of community services, including practical help, support, advice, and training, for small front-line VCS organisations, social enterprises, informal volunteer-led groups, and volunteers in County Durham. She holds a specialism in support of community-led housing and coordinates the Cree Network.

Photo of Tara Hallimond

Tara Hallimond

Training Specialist
tara.hallimond@durhamcommunityaction.org.uk
07496 461999

Tara develops and delivers DCA’s Community Development Workshops through a regular timetable aimed at voluntary and community sector organisations.  She also works with staff, volunteers,  trustees and a range of partners to provide bespoke training to meet their needs, ensure awareness of responsibilities and support the development of organisations and initiatives.

Photo of Tracy Emery

Tracy Emery

Community Development Officer
tracy.emery@durhamcommunityaction.org.uk
07496 461963

Tracy provides a primary contact point for a broad range of community services, including practical help, support, advice, and training, for small front-line VCS organisations, social enterprises, informal volunteer-led groups, and volunteers in County Durham. She provides expertise through her support of community spaces including funding and governance advice.