About us
Our vision and values.
Our vision is to see an inclusive community where everyone has hope and opportunity.
All of our work is aimed at achieving two goals:
1
To help turn around the futures of people who are serving sentences in prison or in the community.
2
To turn around the wider community, encouraging others to support people on their journey.
Our Values
01. WE CREATE OPPORTUNITY
Each of us has opportunities to learn, grow and play a part in our community. We work to enable, encourage and support each other by creating opportunities to build new futures.
02. WE NURTURE HOPE
Each of us is more than our pasts. We use our past experiences to guide us and strengthen us, but we don’t allow them to define us or limit our futures.
03. WE RESPECT EACH OTHER
Each of us should be treated with respect and dignity. Whatever our backgrounds, we value each other, respect differences, and work together to achieve our goals.
04. WE ARE
COMMITTED TO INCLUSION
Each of us has strengths and has a positive contribution to make within our community. We all learn from each other and use our experiences to improve our own and other people’s futures.
Our strategic plan.
Our Strategic Plan sets out the Outcomes and Objectives we will work to achieve over the next few years. But while we are clear about where we are going, we will be flexible about how we get there. We are open to exploring new ideas and approaches, and in particular to learning from people with lived experience of spending time in, and transitioning out of, the justice system.
We want Turnaround to be an organisation that works with people rather than for them. Rather than delivering pre-prepared solutions, we want to involve people in the creation and development of new approaches.
So, while our Strategic Plan sets out the broad framework within which we will work, it is also an invitation to work with us to redefine the boundaries between the justice system and the wider community.
Whatever you think you might be able to bring to the Turnaround Project – your ideas, experience, skills or enthusiasm – we invite you to join us as we work together to help turn futures around.
Our team.
COACH
Anne has 40 years experience working in the Health Service, and 8 years voluntary experience in Storehouse in Belfast, a charity which exists to encourage dignity and significance in those living in poverty.
Anne Gilmore
DIRECTOR
Richard brings senior strategic management skills developed across a range of organisations, and six years’ experience as Special Advisor to the Minister of Justice during a period of significant reform of Northern Ireland’s Prison Service.
Richard Good
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT LEAD
Tara brings social enterprise experience gained as a Business Advisor for Emmaus UK's network of 29 community-based social enterprises. Here Tara developed her skills in start-up funding, finance and organisational development, working with the wisest, most dedicated, and fearless of social entrepreneurs.
Tara O'Hara
ENGAGEMENT & PARTICIPATION MANAGER
Michael brings lived, learned and practice experience of the justice system to engage and involve people in building the Turnaround movement and supporting people on their journeys.
Michael McCusker
VOLUNTEERING
CO-ORDINATOR
A volunteer herself, Catherine uses her brilliant 'people skills' to recruit, induct, train and keep in touch with the growing body of volunteers who are joining the Turnaround movement.
Catherine Shaw
Our Outwork Crews, led by supervisors Valerie Stewart and Seamus Mullan
Our Big Loop Bikes team, led by manager Tim Edgar and mechanic David McCord
Our staff team is strengthened by short term and long term volunteers.
Our board.
ANDREW HAMILTON CBE
Has an extensive background in Northern Ireland’s public sector, latterly as Deputy Secretary in the Department for Communities.
RACHEL O'BRIEN
A consultant specialising in prisons. Rachel is Director of the RSA’s Transitions Project and has 30 years of experience working with charities, think tanks and government, with particular expertise around prison policy.
MICHAEL IRWIN
Uses his experiences and expertise from both lived experience of the justice system and academic research to create awareness of criminal justice processes.
CATHERINE BELL CBE
Brings her expertise from her professional career in government – most recently as a Deputy Secretary in the Department for Employment and Learning.
COLIN MAYRS
MOIRA DOHERTY
SARA DONNELLY-CLEGG
A Solicitor who works for the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service
PROFESSOR
MARGARET TOPPING
Chief Executive of a leisure and tourism company, who has bought, built and sold successful commercial businesses
Deputy Secretary in the Department for Communities, with responsibility for the Department’s ‘Engaged Communities Group’
Dean of Queen's University Belfast's Graduate School and Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Graduate Studies.
NEIL MCCARTAN
From McCartan Muldoon Architects - an experienced architect in this prize-winning practice, who has led the development of a wide range of projects in the public, private and third sectors
NIALL CASEY
Director of Skills and Strategy Solutions at Invest NI, with a background in the private sector.
Our partners and supporters.
The Turnaround Project has been developed through partnership and engagement with a wide range of organisations and generous financial or pro-bono support from others:
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