Meet the Heart of Our Charity – Our Trustees
This National Trustee Week, we’re excited to shine a spotlight on the dedicated individuals who serve as our charity’s Trustees. Trustees play an invaluable role in steering our mission, providing governance, and ensuring we stay true to our vision and values. They bring their unique expertise, insight, and compassion to help guide the charity.
We wanted to share the people who work behind the scenes to make our work possible and what drives them.
Meet Christine
As part of her role as the Director of Membership Experience UK for the Royal Institute of British Architects, Christine organised a neurodiversity webinar where she recognised the challenges her own daughter was experiencing. After arranging a full diagnostic dyslexia assessment for her daughter, she was able to gain some relief and “the support she would need to be able to simply feel equal to her peers at School.”
Christine embarked on a journey through her daughters education, pushing for support, reasonable adjustments and finding practical tools to support her through her GCSE exams.
“This journey led me to want to seek out how I could support others who are not neurotypical and their families and loved ones. Dyslexia Sparks not only provides the financial support for parents trying to access assessments, it provides much needed training to Teachers and leaders in organisations.
“I am extremely proud to be a Trustee and committed to sharing not only my professional skills in leading Marketing and Stakeholder Engagement to support Dyslexia Sparks but also raising awareness of neurodiversity to reduce the stigma and discrimination that unfortunately is prevalent in both education and the workplace.”
Christine has shared more detail of her experiences of her dyslexia journey here.
Meet Duncan
Duncan joined the team in 2022 and has firsthand understanding of the difference that early and appropriate support can make to dyslexic individuals. He said:
“I was delighted to join Sparks as a Trustee and play a part in furthering the development of a charity which supports people to overcome the barriers they face being dyslexic.
“As someone with dyslexia, I found the learning process difficult, and struggled to engage with during my education. I was fortunate however, to be assessed early and receive great support and engagement – which meant I had the confidence to take on exams and written assignments that may otherwise have felt out of reach.
“This drives me as a Trustee – I want to ensure all individuals with dyslexia are supported in the right way and afforded opportunities so they don’t feel like they have to limit their ambitions be that in taking exams or perhaps overcoming other barriers they may face.
“I am lucky to hear directly from the team about the work they do and the impacts it drives. It makes me smile every time and reaffirms the strengths that neuro diversity and dyslexia can bring. Having recently been on the other side of things, having a family member assessed by the charity, I experienced firsthand the professionalism, consideration and attentiveness of the team and it has furthered my appreciation of the fantastic work being delivered.”
Duncan currently leads one of the UK’s largest retailers Responsible Sourcing and Human Right work globally.
Meet Lou
Lou’s Trustee term with Sparks has just come to an end. We’re incredibly grateful for the insight, expertise and passion she has given to make a real difference for our cause.
Lou shared her reasons for embarking on her journey as a Trustee with us:
“Back in 2018 I was a worried parent with a child who was really struggling at school. I contacted Dyslexia Sparks on the recommendation of a friend, and my daughter was identified as dyslexic. Since then and with the support of Sparks’ specialist tuition my daughter has grown in confidence and reads for pleasure.
“As a parent I was so impressed with the journey of effective support we have been given and I wanted to give something back. In the summer of 2021, I applied to become a Trustee for Dyslexia Sparks. I felt I could contribute to an amazing organisation and gain skills and experience for myself.”
We’re recruiting for Trustees
If you would like to join us in making a difference to lives of children and adults with dyslexia then we’d love to hear from you. We are currently recruiting for our Board of Trustees.