VICTIM SUPPORT ISLE OF MAN APPOINTS A NEW CHAIR AND TWO NEW DIRECTORS AS THEIR 25TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR APPROACHES
14 December 2023
With over 20 years of experience in the legal field on the Isle of Man, Ali brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the charity.
Ali Thomas, Chair of Victim Support Isle of Man, comments: “I am really pleased to have been appointed into this role – having worked within the legal field, and in particular the family courts, I have a working knowledge of the work of Victim Support Isle of Man and value their services both to victims and witnesses of crime. Additionally being a director of the Women’s Refuge, I appreciate the significance of Victim Support Isle of Man and the importance of its services in regards to those living in Domestic Abuse situations.”
Ali’s appointment process was supported by local agency, Paragon Recruitment. She will work closely with the charity’s CEO, employees, directors, volunteers, funders and corporate partners.
Lorna Trevethan, CEO of Victim Support Isle of Man, explains: “I am so pleased that Ali has joined the organisation as Chair. She has joined us at an important time for the charity as we prepare for our 25th Anniversary in 2024. Having a Chair who is passionate about the charity and the essential services we provide to the community is so important.”
In addition to the appointment of Ali Thomas as Chair, the charity has welcomed two new directors to the Board. These appointments follow the resignations of Directors Dee Copley and Debi Michelson, who have served on the Board for a number of years.
Lorna says, “We are sorry to see both Dee and Debi leave Victim Support Isle of Man, and are very grateful for all their hard work and support through some difficult times, especially the Pandemic, and wish them well for the future.”
Rob Kinrade of Expol and Adam Horne of The Digital Group are the newly appointed directors and between them bring a wealth of experience as the charity begins a new chapter.
Lorna continues, “I am delighted to welcome Adam and Rob to the Board and am really looking forward to working with them, especially as we begin our 25th Anniversary celebrations and shape Victim Support Isle of Man for the next 25 years.”
Adam Horne says, “It’s great to be involved in such a worthwhile charity. I worked with them over the summer in re-developing their website and was delighted when I was invited to join the Board as having worked closely with them for the website I gained so much insight into what the charity does and want to be able to support them as they move forward. They are such a dedicated and committed team and provide such an important service to victims and witnesses of crimes and other traumatic incidents. I am really looking forward to working with the team and the rest of the Board.”
Rob Kinrade adds, “I feel very humbled and privileged to have been invited to join the Board of Directors of VSIOM. I hope that my experiences from the last 40 years of having been a police officer and then a corporate investigator in the private sector will be transferable to this wonderful Charity. During those years I came into contact with countless victims of serious crime and other traumatic and highly stressful experiences. So perhaps I have a starting point to add value to the team.
The team are widely recognised on the island for their excellent hard work and commitment to the cause. From my initial introductions and overview, they are very much a ’team’. Having examined the referral data for this year I can see that the volunteers and staff are constantly required to deliver and provide a means of support to the clients. My hope is that I can ‘support the supporters’ and also contribute to the smooth and effective running of such an invaluable Charity as it fast approaches its 25th anniversary. I join a Board of people with diverse skills, who have set superb foundations for the Charity over the years, and I eagerly look forward to working with, and learning from them”
Referrals to Victim Support Isle of Man for the current financial year from April 2023 are up 32% on the same period last year, with approximately 50% of current cases being related to Domestic Abuse.
Victim Support is an independent Isle of Man charity, which offers free and confidential help to victims and witnesses of crime, their family and friends. For further information, please visit www.victimsupport.im, or contact the charity via enquiries@victimsupport.im or 01624 679950.