Board Members

Lyn Donnelly has over 30 years’ experience of working in the health sector, beginning in the field of dietetics and nutrition, before moving to work in the broader arena of health promotion and population health. She worked for two years as a volunteer nutritionist in Papua New Guinea, followed by three years with an international Christian mission in Nepal. Returning to work in the southern area of Northern Ireland, she was the area manager for the implementation of the regional public health Investing for Health Strategy for a number of years. Most recently, she held a post of Assistant Director of Commissioning with the regional Health and Social Care Board, working for and with the Southern Local Commissioning Group, a position from which she retired in 2015. Having been a full-time carer for five years, she has a particular interest in the area of dementia and the impact this progressive degenerative disease has on those who are diagnosed with it and their carers.

Claire Ferris is the Chief Executive of Work West, a West Belfast based enterprise centre which promotes entrepreneurship and innovation both locally and across the North. Over the past 22 years at Work West, Claire has led on the development of a number of flagship projects including the construction of the Social Economy Village which opened its doors in 2008 and was the first of its kind in Northern Ireland. The bespoke space where social entrepreneurs co-locate to start up and grow has played a crucial role in Work West's recognition regionally as a market leader for the provision of social enterprise support. In 2016, Work West opened the thincLAB in the Social Economy Village, a bespoke design thinking and creative problem solving space where innovation training is delivered. Claire holds a BA hons in Spanish, German and Business Studies and a Masters Degree in European Business. Claire is a certified Foursight facilitator and she uses the creative preference profiling tool to help individuals and teams foster innovation across their work. Claire has also undertaken training in USA in creative problem solving tools and techniques which she applies to her work. Claire's work was recognised in 2012 when she was the first woman from Northern Ireland to be awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion and in 2017 she was awarded the Social Innovation Leader of the Year in the CO3 leadership awards. Claire is a board member and former treasurer of West Belfast Partnership board and a former board member of Footprints Women's Centre.

Janet Schofield is the CEO of Compass Advocacy Network Ltd – a charity working with young people and adults with learning disabilities, autism and mental health issues. She has over 25 years’ experience in the voluntary sector, both here and in the North-East of England and has developed and established seven social enterprises. Working with over 450 people mainly in the Causeway Area, CAN is known for innovative practice, offering holistic support opportunities to service users and members though friendship, social/leisure/work/training/advocacy and signposting. As a ‘hands-on’ CEO, Janet has developed and established a number of health and well-being initiatives which are proactive and responsive to the needs of individuals, their families and carers. Most recently Janet secured the licence for delivery of the Josephine & Jack Project in Ireland, promoting positive sexual health and relationships. Janet is an active member of a number of strategic bodies promoting change and sits on a number of groups in relation to Health & Wellbeing policy and strategy. She is a mum of three children at various ages and stages and, up until recently, cared for her father-in-law with Alzheimer's and Dementia so is acutely aware of the importance of education and support. When not at work, she can be found in her garden or on the beach at the North Coast.