Username:

Password:

Our Team

Volunteers

Shannon Trust would not exist without its amazing volunteers. We have a team of over 100 volunteers, some of whom have been with us from the beginning. Our aim is to allocate at least one volunteer to every secure establishment in the UK. Our volunteers are known as Shannon Trust Prison Representatives and they support prison staff and prisoners to set up and maintain the Toe by Toe Reading Plan.

We have 14 teams of Shannon Trust Representatives. Each team is looked after by an Area Co-ordinator. The Area Co-ordinators are supported by Area Secretaries who provide administrative support to the team. These are both voluntary positions.

Toe by Toe Facilitators

The Facilitators are the staff members who oversee the daily running of the
Toe by Toe Reading Plan in their establishment. They will ensure that the necessary systems are in place to allow mentors to meet with learners five times a week. Facilitators can be prison officers, education and training staff, librarians, members of the chaplaincy or others.

Most have volunteered for this role because they believe in the value of the
Toe by Toe Reading Plan. It is normally over and above what they are contracted to do in their jobs.

Staff

We have three full-time staff members based at our London office and one part-time staff member in the West Midlands.

Chief Executive Officer – David Ahern

David served as an army officer for 23 years. More recently he was Managing Director of a charity working with disadvantaged young people in London.
Contact David: david@shannontrust.org.uk

Development Manager for Volunteers – Julie Carthy

Julie is a qualified teacher and dyslexia specialist who has experience of teaching in prisons. Her role with Shannon Trust is to look after our team of volunteers.
Contact Julie: julie@shannontrust.org.uk

Office Manager – Sue Kent

Sue joined Shannon Trust from DHL where she managed the UK billing team. Sue is responsible for the smooth running of our office which is based in Central London and for co-ordinating volunteer recruitment.
Contact Sue: sue@shannontrust.org.uk

West Midlands Reading Network Project Manager - Susie O’Hagan

Susie has experience of developing and managing a UK wide programme of courses for The Prince’s Trust. She is a qualified counsellor, family mediator and teacher.
Contact Susie: susie@shannontrust.org.uk

Carol Fraser provides administrative support for our West Midlands Young Offenders’ Reading Network. Carol, who lives in Shropshire has previous experience of working with The Princes Trust.
Contact Carol: carol@shannontrust.org.uk

Director for Scotland - Patricia Watt

Patricia Watt taught English for 30 years in Scottish secondary education, leaving to become a development officer for the National Priorities in Education in Scotland from 2002-2006.  She joined Shannon Trust as a volunteer local area representative in 2008 and has also worked in a voluntary capacity as a TESOL tutor supporting asylum seekers.
Patricia can be contacted: patricia.watt@ntlworld.com

2nd Floor
Royal London House
22-25 Finsbury Square
London
EC2A 1DX

T: 020 7374 8855
E: enquiries@shannontrust.org.uk