Meet the Team

Gail joined AWARE NI in March 2026 as Interim Chief Executive. She has over a decade's experience as CEO in various roles, including a community housing association based in North Belfast.

Her experience spans change management, and leading and supporting Trustees through positive staff engagment. 

Gail has a Masters in Business Administration and is a Fellow of ILM (by examination). Since 1994, she has been an employer representative at Industrial and Fair Employment Tribunals.

She has three grown up children and a fur baby called Mylah, and loves reading, walking and current affairs.

Patricia joined AWARE NI in January 2004. Patricia is responsible for the smooth running of the organisation including management of Finance and Human Resources. In her spare time Patricia enjoys walking and Zumba.

Courtney joined AWARE NI in March 2023, bringing a strong academic background in international relations and conflict transformation (BA, MA) and a proven track record in social media communications and digital activism.

She is passionate about promoting human rights, empowering women, and championing sustainability and mental health. With expertise in creating engaging digital content, she is passionate about crafting creative and innovative campaigns that drive engagement and inspire action.

Outside of work, she’s a Lucy & Yak dungarees fan, adores her two pugs Bo and Pugsy, and enjoys listening to K-Pop.

Leah joined the AWARE NI team in 2019. She worked as an artist (Leah McFall) across London and Los Angeles for 6 years prior. Working closely alongside artist will.i.am, Leah liaised with press teams across The Grammy's, BBC's The Voice, and most of the national and regional publications and platforms within the UK.

Leah was always an advocate for prioritising mental health within the music industry, and felt passionate about working for AWARE NI when she had relocated back home to Northern Ireland. She was delighted to hear about the incredible work AWARE NI has been doing for our community and wanted to be a part of it immediately. Leah hopes her unique experience in communications can play a part in magnifying AWARE NI's message so that more people know there is help out there for them to access.

Leah enjoys continuing on her artist project, writing songs, recording in the studio, and performing live.

Amanda has a background in marketing and communications and a Masters in Film & TV Production, Law, Management and Policy. She has written and produced various short films in association with Northern Ireland Screen.

She is a professional writer and a former member of the Chartered Institute of Editors and Proofreaders and has held past roles as a freelance Communications Consultant, working across public, private and not-for-profit sectors.

Amanda leads communications for AWARE NI and manages a small but hugely impactful team!

She loves reading, writing, going to the theatre, and being physically active.  

Margaret is one of our Community Fundraiser and works with fundraising teams particularly in the North West of the province. Margaret works closely alongside the Omagh AWARE NI Committee who have organised some extremely successful fundraising events to date.

Lesley has worked in the charity sector for over 30 years. She is responsible for Community Fundraising & Events and supporting AWARE NI fundraisers. 

In her spare time, she enjoys her family life, swimming, sunshine holidays and walking her dog, Teddy. 

Hannah joined AWARE NI in May 2021, bringing two years of experience from a local children’s charity. In her role, she plays a vital part in supporting the Communications and Fundraising teams, focusing on event recruitment, promotion, and marketing strategies while crafting compelling content and press releases to share the success stories of our fundraising partnerships.

Hannah’s passion for mental health is deeply personal, stemming from her experience caring for someone with depression. When she’s not working, you can find her staying active, enjoying time with friends, or exploring new travel destinations.

Pamela joined AWARE NI in June 2021, having previously worked for 20 years in administration/finance within the voluntary/mental health sector.

Pamela is passionate about supporting young people in her local community and is a volunteer in a local organisation working with children in the area.

Jemma joined AWARE NI in March 2022 as an Education and Training Officer.

Jemma has worked for a number of charities over the years including RNIB, Mencap, Action Mental Health, alongside volunteering for Woman’s Aid and Samaritans. She has a Masters in Counselling and Therapeutic Communication and is a solution-focused Hypnotherapist. 

Jemma is passionate about travelling, her pets, and keeping fit with aerial yoga, aerial hoop, and polercise.

Nigel Fyffe joined AWARE NI in June 2019 as an Education and Training Officer. He has previously worked as a trainer/educator in Mental Health, Substance misuse, Community Relations and the Youth Work sector.  Outside of work he enjoys sport and the outdoors, and is a keen taxi driver for his two teenagers.

Emma joined AWARE NI in 2022, having previously worked at two other local charities as a project worker and regional coordinator. She is passionate about promoting good mental health, resilience and wellbeing, especially with children. Emma was previously a teacher and spent ten years teaching in England and in the Middle East, and provided pastoral care and wellbeing as a year head. She previously taught English as a Foreign Language, in Prague, Berlin and Bolivia, and enjoyed being able to travel and experience new cultures.

Outside work Emma enjoys being outdoors, walking, camping and road trips. She is a keen cook (with mixed results) and enjoys reading, watching films, going to gigs and spending time with friends.

Colleen joined the AWARE NI team in May of 2023 as an Administrator for the Education and Training team, bringing experience from previous administration roles.

In her spare time, Colleen enjoys photography, spending time with her family, and socialising with friends.

Olivia joined the AWARE NI Team in October 2022 as an Administrator for the Education and Training team. She is passionate about encouraging people to talk about their mental health.

Outside of work, Olivia enjoys travelling, spending time with her friends and listening to music.

Caroline is a  passionate advocate for improving mental and emotional wellbeing and believes that combating stigma and discrimination is vital in bringing about change.   She currently manages the Support Services Team, together with a large team of volunteers, in delivering support services across NI.  Before joining the staff team in 2015, Caroline was involved with AWARE NI for over 12 years as a Group Facilitator, Board Member and Company Secretary.  

Caroline is also a qualified counsellor/integrative therapist and she is a member of BACP. As well as her connection with the voluntary and community sector, Caroline’s experience of public and private sectors include a wide and varied career with HMRC and links with family business. Outside work Caroline enjoys traveling and loves to spend time with family and friends.

Cherry is the Support Services Officer in the Belfast Office at AWARE NI. She coordinates support groups and manages the recruitment and supervision of volunteers in her area. She also organises outreach events and manages AWARE NI's support calls and support mail. Cherry used to volunteer for AWARE NI as a support group facilitator for three years before joining the staff team in October 2014.  Her background is in adult and community education. 

Tabi joined AWARE NI in October 2024 after three years as a volunteer support group facilitator. She works alongside Cherry, coordinating support groups, recruiting and supervising volunteers and answering support calls. She recently attained a Masters in Applied Psychology (Mental Health & Psychological Therapies) from Ulster University.

Tabi is deeply passionate about equity and inclusion, particularly LGBTQ and neurodivergent issues. She has two spoiled cats. She loves to knit, read SFF, and play tabletop games with her friends in her spare time.

Carole has been working for AWARE NI since October 2010. She carries out administrative duties for the Education and Training department. Carole helps to organise the training programmes, from advertising the courses, taking in the applications to evaluating the forms that the participants fill in. Carole also looks after the day to day duties of the office as well as being PA to the CEO.

Linda began working for AWARE NI in 2017. She is responsible for helping the Education and Training team organise their training programmes, as well as helping out with the daily Finance and HR duties of the organisation.

In her spare time, she enjoys travelling and keeping fit.