Gillian Graham has over 30 years’ experience working within the health and social care sector, covering family and childcare, fostering, and hospital discharge. She has experience of working with older people, particularly those who are housebound. Outside of work Gillian has served as a member of the NI Co-Op Regional Committee, working to support the Co-Op’s ethics and values and strategic direction. Gillian is a member of the Belfast Trust Carer’s Network, promoting the needs of carers across all of the Trust’s departments, and also has experience of being a carer.
Anne joined the board of Engage with Age in 2014. Anne is Chairperson of the Belfast East Seniors’ Forum. She qualified as a state registered nurse in 1960, and worked in the community within North Down and Ards Occupational Therapy Team from 1976 to 2001.
She represents the Belfast East Seniors Forum on the Greater Belfast Seniors Forum (G6), and volunteers within her local community, taking a lead with the Winter Wanderers walking group, and facilitating arts and crafts sessions.
Leigh joined the board of Engage with Age in 2019. She is also a Non-Executive Director on the Board of the Mid and East Antrim Agewell Partnership and a Volunteer Mentor with the Prince’s Trust. She has a particular interest in dementia and inter-generational engagement.
Leigh works at the Northern Ireland Utility Regulator’s Consumer Protection function, focusing on the interests of vulnerable customers. Leigh has worked in the energy sector for the past ten years, having previously been Senior Regulation Specialist for SONI, the electricity system operator in Northern Ireland, with responsibility for strategic stakeholder management, governance and compliance.
Debbie works at the All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC) as Programme Manager for Technology and Innovation. She previously worked as Training Manager in Advice NI, as well as Regional Digital Inclusion Coordinator in Leonard Cheshire Charity. She is a member of the CIPD and is a recognised Foundation Chartered Manager with the Chartered Management Institute. She has a Masters Degree in Human Rights Law from Queen’s University Belfast and has served as Trustee in several charities over the years.
Before retirement Francis worked as a trained accountant. He was on the board of Age Sector Platform, serving as its Chair for two years. Francis has served on the board of Shop Mobility, has been Treasurer of Finaghy Friendship Group, and is a member of the South Belfast Lifestyle Forum.
Francis sits on the IMTAC committee that address the travel needs of older people, and is also a volunteer with Cruise to assist persons dealing with the grief process. Francis is also a former Trustee of Engage with Age.
Sinead joined the board of Engage with Age in 2018. She works with Queen’s University of Belfast, and has previously been a Housing Support Worker for Clanmill Housing based in Mullan Mews, a supported living centre for people living with dementia.
She has co-ordinated the Mullan Mews Carer’s Support Group, and works with the Belfast East Seniors’ Forum and the Dementia Friendly East Belfast campaign. Sinead harnesses a range of activities in her practice including arts, crafts, digital media, film, and social media.
Anne Marie McCartney is Director of Finance and IT for Orchardville Society Limited, a charity committed to changing the lives of people with learning disability and autism. She is a qualified accountant, and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, with over 30 years of experience. She has worked within the private sector as Chief Finance Officer and Financial Controller for companies including Jans Holding Limited, Thompson Aero Seating Limited, and Magellan Aerospace. Anne Marie has also worked as a Finance Manager for Bank of Ireland.
Gillian joined the board of Engage with Age in 2012 and served as its Chairperson from 2013 to 2017. Gillian works as a Senior Environmental Health Officer with Belfast City Council. For ten years her role with the council involved working on the Age Friendly Belfast programme, co-ordinating the Belfast City Council Age Friendly Plan, working with a range of agencies and also older people. She represents Belfast for the World Health Organisation’s Healthy Cities programme. Gillian is also a volunteer scout leader.
Peter has over 35 years’ experience in the field of Social Welfare, working in England, Northern Ireland and Central/ Eastern Europe. He has over 12 years’ experience in Senior Management within the social services sector in Northern Ireland, followed by 18 years in various post-communist countries delivering projects at national, regional and local level. These involved working to reform social welfare and health care, the labour market, and institutional development. His work has taken him to countries including Croatia, Poland, Bosnia, and Kosovo. Peter is a member of the Age NI Consultative Forum, and a leader of the Engage with Age Dance Group which meets as part of the PAL Project.
Marianne worked in the public and not for profit sectors in England. She undertook executive roles in Human Resources with housing associations, and non-executive roles with the NHS, and SMEs. Prior to retirement Marianne ran her own consultancy business specialising in leadership coaching, governance, strategic reviews and board effectiveness. Marianne was a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors. Having retired, Marianne moved to Belfast to be near family.
John Wisoner has been in the NI Civil Service (NICS) for over 42 years and have worked in 4 different Departments across several different disciplines. He is a Deputy Principal within the Dept. of Justice (since 2018) with responsibility for ICT services, their good practice and value for money, and manages a budget of £6M+. He is secretariat to a Committee made up of senior civil servants, and also other Civil Service committees. John has held several positions within trade union committees over the years (Health and Safety rep, Branch Secretary, etc.), and is also involved in raising awareness of, and finds for, various charities. In 2021 he completed the Boardroom Apprentice programme, gaining skills and an in-depth knowledge into the workings of boardrooms and committees.
Engage with Age can accept referrals of individual older people aged 50+ who are at risk of loneliness and social isolation, inviting them to participate in group activities. Engage with Age offers one-to-one telephone befriending support for individual older people but does not currently provide in person visits to individual older people. To make a referral please complete the on-line Referral Form and submit or alternatively please print off a copy of the PDF Referral Form and send it to us. See also the Referral Criteria for details of who can be referred.
Referral Form Referral Criteria