Our trustees – who they are and what they do

Richard continues to be involved  in social care and health through a range of consultancy work and as a board member of Anchor Trust and Action on Hearing Loss.

Richard is a keen walker and enjoys music  and bird watching. He is currently learning to play the trumpet!

He holds a season ticket holder at Manchester United, (one of the rare breed who actually hails from Manchester…!) and enjoys being a member of the National Trust. He has supported us for over 10 years.

I joined the board of trustees because I feel that I can bring valuable insight and understanding from my role a Shared Lives carer, I love the model and am interested in scheme development and raising awareness.  I bring to the post the diverse skills and experience that I have acquired during my career and this can be used whilst supporting Shared Lives carers and applying my wisdom within the role of trustee.

I want to ensure that the wonderful unsung work of carers who are part of Shared Lives plus are well supported. Their voices can be heard through mine and I am passionate to ensure Shared Lives Plus, and its carers are continuously recognised within a UK professional role.

As a Trustee I feel that my experience as a carer and my professional career including director of a company that supports people who have faced adversity, empowers them to be productive within the community and helps them to lead independent lives has equipped me to be part of the board.

I have worked in health or social care since I was 17, starting as a psychiatric nurse, then moved into community and general nursing. I then helped set up a Community Centre in South Shropshire in what had been a Local Authority Care Home. Followed by a move to Social Care where I have remained and first heard about Shared Lives or Adult Placement as it was known then.

My Myer Briggs personality type is ENFP Extraverted INtuative Feeling and Perceptive and I would say this is an accurate picture of me and has served me well throughout my career.

I am a Shared Lives Carer and have been for many years before that I was a Foster Carer with a private company.  I have also worked within Social Services with young probationers helping them get back into full time employment and settle their lives into a manageable routine.  I enjoy helping the local community with various events / charity fundraisers / and schemes to enhance our area where we live.

I have sat as a local Magistrate for many years – also elected as the chair of the Youth Panel for Wales.   Helping others seem to be my middle name – so the family say.  They also say I am a tough ole cookie whatever that means.

I visit my son who lives in Sydney Australia as and when I can.   I enjoy all kinds of Craft and have my very own ‘She Shed’ which is heaven and I make things for local craft fairs nearby, and art [water colours mainly].

Prior to social care, my initial career was with information technology in the corporate sector where although I enjoyed tech, I felt disconnected from society and unable to contribute. I am driven by a constant curiosity and open mind to ‘do things differently and better’, especially where I can have a positive influence and impact on the lives of others.

Living in Wales, I have a varied range of interests including gardening, quilting and (despite being vertically challenged) I am an avid motorcyclist.

Aisling is also a Trustee of 2 national charities seeking to improve the life chances for disabled people.