The Board of Directors

Helen O'Donnell - Helen is very committed and dependable and has worked in a voluntary capacity for over thirty five years.  During this time she has gained a wealth of knowledge and expertise.  Helen is presently  Vice Chair of Mid Ulster Citizens Advice and past Chair of COSTA.  Helen is also involved in her local community.

Mary O'Neill -  Mary is the former Manager of Dungannon & Community District Transport and has held all the above posts over her many years as an FSWC committee member.

Edel Cunningham - Edel is currently employed by Volunteer Now .  She is the Volunteering Support Officer for Armagh and Dungannon. Edel has been involved with FSWC in providing information sessions, looking at local volunteer opportunities  to help create better communities.  Edel also helps Volunteers to gain confidence and employability as well as experiencing the joy of giving back! 

Paula Smyth - Paula works as Head of Business Development (All Ireland) for an Awarding Organisation that specialises in the development and delivery of training courses and qualifications for the land-based sector.  Her academic education includes a MSc in Communication (Strategic Management and Marketing) and a BA(Hons) in English. 

 

Paula is passionate about training and learning; “I am excited to be involved with First Steps Women’s Centre to be able to share some of the experience I have gained, with those who avail of the services offered.  I see every day as a learning day and would encourage others to do the same.  I feel privileged, through my role, to be able to help others on that journey as a Board member."

Wendy Wigton - Wendy is passionate about improving women’s lives through support, education and increasing their self-confidence and social networks. She is a floating support officer with C&MUWA as well as senior support officer on their new project, the Starfish project. She has a BSc Hons in Adult Nursing from QUB and has volunteered as a bereavement support volunteer and supervisor for Cruse Bereavement Care in Moy since 2004.  “I feel delighted to have joined the Board of such a wonderful organisation. Any time I have visited First Steps Women’s Centre, I have always been met with such a lovely, relaxed atmosphere, friendly staff who are always welcoming and somewhere that women can just be themselves without judgment. I’m looking forward to this new challenge and to seeing what lies ahead for First Steps.”

Janice McMullan - Janice has spent many years working in Health &  Social Care and Training & Employment; commencing her career as a Registered General Nurse and then managing family support,  Janice further progressed to senior management as Strategic and Operational Manager of government funded programmes in the voluntary and community sector, working across the NHSCT, SHSCT & WHSCT. Janice is currently employed as a Registered Manager of Supported Housing for Young People. As a former employee of First Steps Women's Centre as Programme Coordinator and then Childcare Manager, Janice feels "the Centre has been pivotal in empowering and giving me the confidence to partake in adult learning, career progression and the importance of a strong and caring team." 

Siobhan Wallace - With over 20 years experience at the helm of an eclectic mix of Projects, Siobhan is a creative thinker and enjoys finding alternative perspectives and new approaches to ensure the highest quality provision for service users. Siobhan has worked in a variety of fields from diversity training to Family Support to mental health and has developed a number of new projects from scratch. She has worked in both the community and public sector all of her working life.  Currently employed as Programme Manager for Dungannon & Coalisland SureStart Siobhan has enjoyed radically reshaping services to serve the needs of local families with children under 4 and has been inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach in doing so. Siobhan is looking forward to getting more involved in improving opportunities for women in the Mid Ulster area.

Geraldine McAuley - Geraldine became a director at FSWC in November 2020. She has been studying theology for two years and has now gained her diploma and will be heading into nursing to follow a mental health nursing pathway.  Geraldine has a keen interest in mental health and has worked alongside community addictions teams and various other agencies when she worked as an addiction worker which is a subject close to her heart.  Her own life journey has led Geraldine to mentor other women in her own community. This work involved helping with self-esteem issues following domestic abuse or rehab. Geraldine says: “ I have a heart for empowering women of all ages, as they have encouraged me through the years as I have seen them grow from strength to strength.”