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Board Members

Mike Richards (Chairperson)

Mark Ambler
Jannie Allen
Hillary Bennett
Sue Beresford
Judy He
Charlene Pretorius

Staff Members

Manager – Carol Ryan
Carol joined Raeburn House in 1993 having previously worked in the business sector and within community contributed voluntary time to local community initiatives. Her role within Raeburn House has evolved over the years to where she is now Manager. As Manager she not only oversees the day to day running of the organisation but works extensively across the Waitemata region, working collaboratively resourcing, supporting and working with communities and agencies to address the identified issues.  Carol has involvement with many committees and working parties including Chairperson Shared Vision North Harbour, Community Representation on Harbour Health’s PHO Board, Community Health Voice North Shore Board member, Literacy North Shore Board Member and Takapuna Community Facilities Trust. Carol has a Certificate in Health Promotion and has undertaken part time study at Unitec on the Graduate Diploma in Not For Profit Management and is currently studying the Certificate of Small Business Management at Te Wananga o Aotearoa.

Assistant Manager – Christine Jones
Christine joined Raeburn House in July 2004 having previously worked for 14 years in various roles within the Not-For profit Sector in New Zealand and before that worked for four years in the corporate sector in the UK. Her role is to ensure there is sufficient funding to maintain and expand the current services offered, by applying to a wide variety of funding bodies. Christine’s other responsibilities include the Marketing and Promotion of Raeburn House and assisting Management with policy and planning.   Christine has a Certificate in Health Promotion and has completed The Graduate Diploma In Not For Profit Management (Unitec).

Training & Development Co-ordinator - Kaira Marsh
Kaira joins Raeburn House as a contractor working in two areas of the organisation, she has taken up the role of Training and Development Co-ordinator and will also be woking in the area of Social Enterprise.
Kaira describes her career as having two parts:
pre- and post- children. Pre-children when she worked in corporate settings with a focus on management training. Post-children Kaira entered the community sector, initially training as a Childbirth Educator then moving into Parenting and Living without Violence training before managing the North Shore Women's Centre. Kaira has a strong belief in equality and works towards a society in which all people are treated with dignity and have the right to participate no matter their age, gender, ethnicity, religion or health status.

Community Resource Co-ordinator – Amberlee Wharton
Amberlee joined Raeburn House in June 2008. She has a background in administration and recently graduated from Massey University with a Honours Degree in Sociology (1st Class) and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and English. Amberlee has a passion for working in communities and ensuring that groups and individuals have access to up to date information and support.

Accounts Clerk – Anthea Evans
Anthea joined Raeburn House in February 2009 to work part-time on accounts and administration. Originally from the UK, she has been a New Zealand resident for four years. She is a qualified Accounting Technician and has previous experience working for not-for-profit organisations.

Project Co-ordinator – Joan Hamilton
Joan has worked on and off for Raeburn House on a contractual basis over the last six years and is currently working on a variety of projects. She previously worked in the print trade focussing on the graphics side of the industry and for a number of years ran her own graphic business. Joan then worked in Mental Health Supported Employment and completed her Masters in Creative Performing Arts.   Joan has had a variety of voluntary positions for various NFP’s such as Red Cross Meals on Wheels, founder member of Hibiscus Coast CAB, Age Concern. She is currently volunteering as a research assistant working in applied art at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, and a Board member of Literacy North Shore.

Office Assistant – Jessica Hogan
Jessica joined Raeburn House in May 2010. She has a passion for dealing with people, has a background in retail and holds a Certificate in Small Business Management. Jessica's interests include reading, writing, cooking, cake decorating and shopping.

Settlement Support Co-ordinator – Cheng Goh
Cheng joined Raeburn House in September 2007 as Settlement Support Advisor. Originally from Malaysia, Cheng worked as a marketeer working in multi-national food, nutritional and healthcare companies for over 15 years. In 2002 she trained and became a volunteer ESOL Home Tutor (English for Speakers of Other Languages) as well as volunteering as a parent helper at both Birkenhead Kindergarten and Birkenhead Primary School. Cheng also worked part-time as a market research business interviewer. A year and a half later, she took up a regional marketing assignment which involved overseeing brand management and marketing in affiliated local companies around the Asia-Pacific markets. Upon her return to New Zealand, she continued to volunteer at local schools. Prior to joining Raeburn House, she was teaching English at a language school on the North Shore. Cheng has experience in marketing, training, product development, market research, and teaching English. As well as CELTA, she holds a Masters in Biotechnology, a Graduate Diploma in Food Technology, and a BSc in Biochemistry and Microbiology.

Settlement Support Advisor – Sarbjit Lester
Sarb joined the Raeburn House Settlement Support team in November 2008. Originally from the UK, Sarb has been living in New Zealand for over five years. She began her career in the community sector by working with people from minority ethnic communities in the area of social housing management. Since arriving in New Zealand, Sarb has worked as a fundraiser for Lifewise and most recently assisted the Oscar Foundation with grant approvals. She enjoys working with the North Shore migrant community to help them settle successfully.

Strengthening Families Co-ordinator – Aggie Cherrington
Aggie joined Raeburn House in December 2009, she brings a wealth of experience and knowledge. Aggie first qualified as a nurse and later went on to earn a Bachelor of Business Studies degree from Massey University, she also holds a certificate in Leadership & Facilitation. In the 1980s and 1990s Aggie an Oruamo Community Development programme delivering practical training courses to youth. In 2003, Aggie was to establish the Strengthening Families service on the North Shore. Aggie has a passion for community and child well-being.

Contractor - Eileen Iripa-Vainikolo
Eileen came to Raeburn House in 2009 as a Student Placement from Massey University, where she developed a passion for Community Development.
Eileen has a Social Work background and is contracted to Raeburn House to support the team with the 19th edition of the Directory of Support Services, Community Development Projects and to attend Network meetings.

Clinical Supervisor – Dr Ruth Jillings
Registered Psychologist, BA (Hons), PhD, PGDip I/O, PG Cert Child / Ado Mental health, Primary Cert CBT, MNZPsS, and Registered NZCER Tester. Ruth has extensive experience training groups and has done numerous media presentations, including seven years of weekly TV appearances as the Child Psychologist on TVNZ’s Good Morning show. Her main professional issues lie in the areas of work / life balance and working with groups and individuals to reduce stress and enhance resiliency. Ruth’s role at Raeburn House is as the Clinical Supervisor, assisting the facilitators to enhance their skills and to provide support for any issues that arise from working with groups.

Learning & Development Facilitators

All facilitators for the Learning & Development service are employed on a term-by-term basis from a pool of skilled and trained professionals.

Dr. Judy Blakey
Judy is an experienced educationist and health researcher who has taught in New Zealand secondary school and tertiary education settings. Her involvement in psychological research has focused on biopsychosocial and ecological factors that affect human development and shape people's differing capacities to accommodate change in their everyday lives.

Beryl Fabian
Beryl is a clinical psychologist who has worked privately and in community mental health teams. She is experienced in helping clients to manage anxiety / stress, depression and grief, to build self-esteem and resilience, and to address relationship factors which can get in the way of them living their lives abundantly. She has comprehensive training in cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), but her practice is informed by other evidence-based therapies, including cognitive analytical (CAT), narrative, brief solution focused and problem-solving therapy.

Dr. Gundrun Frerichs
Gudrun is a registered Psychotherapist trainer and group facilitator. She is passionate about issues of communication, relationships, and creating a joyful life. Gudrun has 20 years experience in helping people to overcome painful life-experience such as grief, loss, emigration, sexual abuse, domestic violence, neglect, accidents, and natural disasters.

Tatjana Karaman
Tatjana is a Cognitive Behaviour Therapist (CBT). Her areas of clinical CBT interst include anxiety related problems, weight management and work related stress. Tatjana has experience working with individuals and families from diverse backgrounds, providing group facilitation, training, support, education, advocacy, counselling and supervision. She works as a Team Manager for Supporting Families in Mental Illness (SFMI) and in private practice.

Grant McGregor
Grant is a registered Psychotherapist, trainer, and group faciltator, and a qualified presenter / facilitator of the Living Works Suicide Intervention Programme. He has 15 years experience in helping people make positive changes in their lives, personal development and life issues such as grief, depression, abuse, anxiety, life transition and aging, trauma, stress and gender identity.

Gerri Power
Gerri is a resilience coach and mentor with comprehensive training and certification to Master level in New Zealand and Australia. With a background in organisational development and career transition, Gerri combines her extensive training in writing for personal growth with the latest research and theories on the application of journal and poetic techniques, to foster a resilient lifestyle during times of transition.

Abi Raymond
Abi is currently training to be an art therapist at Whitecliffe College of Art and Design. She has completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts at Auckland University and a Certificate iun Counselling Theory at Massey University. Presently she is working at Spark Studio, which provides creative arts and self-development programs to all members of the community. Abi is passionate about art therapy and values the power of the process, which offers people a way to express themselves creatively, resulting in increased personal insight, self-awareness and acceptance.

Alison Sheeran
Alison is an experienced teacher, psychotherapist and celebrant. Her special interest is in helping people to make meaning of their lives, and increase their personal power and resiliency so that they may live life to the full. Alison works with issues of anxiety and depression, grief, abuse, PTSD, life transitions, relationships, parenting and spirituality.

Maria Thorndyke
Maria is qualified in providing clinical supervision, counselling, psychotherapy, NLP, and hypnotherapy. She specialises in helping people with post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, stress, self-esteem, confidence, anger management, and relationship problems. Maria's training allows her to offer a very creative and rich therapeutic experience for her clients.

Shireen Tresslor
Shireen is a trained counsellor and group facilitator who draws on narrative, solution-focused brief and cognitive behavioural therapies. She has experience working with diverse cultural backgrounds and with issues around well-being, chronic and terminal illness, gried and loss, migration, communication, behaviour, relationships, life changes and domestic violence. Shireen is passionate about helping people to find joy and inspiration, and supporting and empowering them to live the kind of life they would prefer to live. She works in private practice and with various community groups as a volunteer.

Natalie Willmer
Natalie is a Holistic Bodywork Practitioner who practices Reiki, Holistic Pulsing, Craniosacral Therapy, and Relaxation Massage. She also facilitates Relaxation Classes to help reduce stress levels and release tension, and balance the body and mind through the practice of breath work, body awareness and meditation.

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