Who's Who at ARX?
Janet Badger – Chair
Janet took over as Chair of ARX in February 2007. She has a long history of working in the field of advocacy and managed an Advocacy organisation in the Midlands for 12 years from the early 90’s. Janet also worked for the British Institute of Learning Disabilities in their advocacy department and managed the advocacy grant schemes on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government and the Department of Health. This work allowed Janet the opportunity to meet large numbers of locally based advocacy groups in England and Wales and develop good working relationships with them. Janet currently works in a self employed capacity and some of her most recent work has involved writing a number of the modules for the new National Advocacy Qualification.
Charles Hodgson – Treasurer
Charles has been the treasurer of ARX since February 2007. He has a background in Education but moved to Advocacy in 1994. Charles started the charity Choices Advocacy in Southampton and South West Hampshire, which now employs 24 staff and has more than 60 volunteers.
Over the last seven years he has been involved in founding both regional and national advocacy organisations and produced advocacy standards. He has written and taught advocacy modules at both the universities in Southampton and delivers in-service courses to Hampshire Social Services.
Charles has overseen the writing and publication of three research studies in advocacy and written advocacy volunteer training modules and has been involved in writing some of the National Advocacy Qualification materials.
Shelagh Gleeson - Trustee
Shelagh recently joined the trustees and is ARX main link with the National Coalition of CA schemes. She is one of the original members of the Coalition executive committee and has been involved with developing the Coalition from its inception. Shelagh retired officially from working in direct advocacy provision in December 2005. Until then she was Coordinator for Sheffield Citizen Advocacy for 15 years alongside Diana Charles. She is currently an advocate with Doncaster Advocacy.
Chris Lee – Trustee
Chris has been working in advocacy for a number of years. He is currently Chief Officer of Hampshire Advocacy Regional Group (HARG). HARG is a regional network/consortium; its membership consisting of about a dozen independent advocacy schemes from across the county. Its main aims are to
- Promote independent advocacy in Hampshire
- Identify gaps in local advocacy provision and develop new schemes where appropriate
- Strengthen existing advocacy schemes
- Formalise local advocacy standards
- Engage in dialogue with local statutory bodies and funders
He was previously Team Manager and Advocate with a successful and innovative community-based advocacy outreach project, based in a ‘New Deal’ regeneration area of Southampton. This project provided vital advocacy support to some of the city’s most isolated and excluded people.
Wendy Banks – Acting Chief Executive Officer
Wendy Banks has worked in the disability and advocacy field for 17 years, both in the United Kingdom and Australia.
Prior to this role, Wendy worked at Scope for 9 years, initially as the Advocacy Development Manager and then Head of Co-Production. Wendy’s role was to lead on the development and promotion of advocacy, supported decision making and effective customer engagement, particularly with people with additional support needs. During this time, Wendy set up and chaired the Independent Advocacy Campaign, led on the national research into the lack of advocacy for people with additional support needs and co-authored the publication Advocating for Equality. Wendy also managed the Voices Through Advocacy project, which has led to over 300 advocates receiving free training on non-instructed advocacy.
Before working for Scope, Wendy worked for Mencap initially as a manager of a day centre and then as an Advocacy Co-Ordinator for young disabled people. Prior to moving to the UK, Wendy worked as a Psychologist in Australia specialising in the field of disability and substance abuse.
John Mayford - Supported Voices Development Officer
John joined ARX in November 2007 to take over the role of Development Officer for the Supported Voices Project. John has built a career of working within social justice, community development, co-operative and social enterprise systems. He lived and worked in multi faith, multi cultural inner cities communities for 20 years and set up projects with people from a number of BME communities including a number of migrant communities and therefore people with Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, and secular/atheist backgrounds. A key focus was the development and implementation of a community development strategy designed to encourage people from BME communities and women to set up co-ops and social enterprise initiatives.
Vicky Routledge – Helpline manager
Vicky is the manager of the Advocacy Resource finder and helpline. She joined ARX at the outset of this project in 2006 and is currently on maternity leave.
Angela Woodward – Finance Officer
Angela works part-time for ARX as the finance officer.
Andrea Dixon– Administrator
Andrea is ARX administrator and works Tuesday – Friday, 9.30-2.30
Roland Matthews – Consultant
Roland carries out consultancy work for ARX . Prior to this, Roland ran a community-based generic advocacy scheme in North West Hampshire for 11 years. Roland was a founder-member of HARG, the county advocacy consortium, and served as its secretary for many years. He was also one of the authors of Working with Diversity, a report on advocacy development in Hampshire, and co-manager of a county-wide self-advocacy project
Joe Monaghan – Consultant
Joe also works as a consultant for ARX and as a partner in our close working arrangements with the National Coalition of CA Schemes
ARX uses the services of many different consultants and trainers which gives us a diversity of experience and expertise that allows us to meet the overall aims and objectives of the organisation.
