At Access Dorset we think of everyone as members of The Bridge Community – whether beneficiaries, volunteers, staff or Trustees. The motto of The Bridge is “where we’re each of equal worth!”
We have a small staff team, supported by 30 extremely important volunteers. A quick glance at our activities shows how vitally important these volunteers are in keeping the Bridge afloat!
Our employees are:
I am the Chief Executive of Access Dorset. I am accountable to Board of Trustees of Access Dorset and responsible for leading the organisation, managing finances and staff - I do so by working closely with the Development Manager and Senior Activities and Volunteer Coordinator. I am passionate about promoting equality and inclusion and developing new opportunities at The Bridge. I also manage Access Dorset’s social enterprise, DOTS Disability, and am a qualified Occupational Therapist.
I live with my wife and two children in Southbourne and love spending time in the garden and going for long walks with our dog, Carley.
I am the PA to the management team for Access Dorset, which involves various duties, including room hire at The Bridge. I arrange the Trusted Assessor Training courses and also assist with the finances.
I have been with the company for 10 years and since moving to the bridge have seen a lot of positive developments.
In my own time I enjoy socialising with friends and family. I try and do a couple of gym classes a week and enjoy holidays to new places.
I am the Development Manager and I'm responsible for strategic planning, sourcing new income streams and managing our money.
In my spare time, I like to research people’s family trees, read, cook, garden on my allotment, binge watch Netflix (and other channels), go metal detecting and go for walks with my dogs.
I'm responsible for managing the Activities program and for making sure our Volunteers have the best possible experience with Access Dorset. I'm assisted by a project worker, who helps and supports volunteers to deliver our activity program. We also help organise and support people with special events, such as our monthly Friday night social events, monthly Wednesday outings and events and celebrating all those special weeks and events that make us all a part of our community; such as Autism Awareness Week, Down's Syndrome Week, royal coronations and many other events that we can celebrate together.
I am responsible for delivering and supporting Access Dorset’s Activity Program, which includes our Community Café, Performing Arts Group, Build/Grow vocational training opportunities, Art Groups, Cooking Groups, and social activities. My aim is to work with volunteers and beneficiaries, help them to identify their skills and support them with areas they may find challenging. We provide meaningful activities to build their confidence, self-esteem, skills, and stamina.
Before I started working for Access Dorset, I helped run the Performing Arts group. I am very passionate about promoting inclusion, diversity, dignity and helping others to achieve their goals and learn new skills, which is what made Access Dorset the perfect fit for me. We have performed many performances including “Belvis and the Beast”, “High School Musical Christmas Carol” and “Aladdin”. I enjoy being active including dancing, swimming, and doing yoga.
With a small staff team, Access Dorset are heavily reliant on a pool of 25 dedicated Volunteers. We support volunteers with an induction, regular supervision, a Volunteer Handbook, training (including Safeguarding, First Aid, Equality and Diversity and Disability Equality Training). In 2021, we achieved the Investing in Volunteers Standard.
