The Trustee Board

The Trustees volunteer their time and expertise to oversee the legal and business functioning of the Service. They have a range of skills, experience, qualifications and an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Certificate.  They all come from various walks of life and this provides the organisation with a firm secure structure from which it can operate.

Meet our Trustees

Liz Taylor- Chair

I worked for many years as a mental health professional with a particular interest in severe and enduring conditions. I was aware of the impact adverse life events such as sexual abuse had on mental wellbeing and this became a personal experience when a member of my family became ill as a result of domestic abuse. Contact with, and subsequent counselling, from the Birchall Trust marked a recovery turning point for both the victim and the rest of the family. As a result, I became a Trustee in 2018 to support the work done by the whole team and to further knowledge of the impact of sexual abuse on victims, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

 Simon Hanson- Treasurer

“I believe that supporting survivors of rape and sexual abuse is a social imperative and from my own experience as a survivor I could see there was the need for greater provision of specialist counselling.” In order to pursue this ideal I became a Trustee of the Birchall Trust in 2009. During the following years I have been able to help the Birchall Trust to grow and provide support to more survivors and to extend our reach beyond south Cumbria into north Lancashire. I will continue to use my knowledge and experience to support the development of our service to the best of my ability. I have lived in Cumbria since 2005 and work in audio/visual arts. Prior to this I worked in senior managerial roles for a large multinational company. I have a wealth of experience managing organisations and working with people from all walks of life.

Siobhan Weare – Secretary

I am a Lecturer in the Law School at Lancaster University, where my research is currently focusing on men who experience sexual violence from women. I am passionate about improving the legal and criminal justice responses to all survivors of sexual violence. I have been a trustee of The Birchall Trust for nearly three years and I am proud to be part of such an amazing organisation that delivers real and positive change and support to survivors and their families.