Events & Activities – The Emily Davison Centre

Meet The Team

Chair and Founder – Amanda Elwen

I am the business manager for Paladin national stalking advocacy service, HARV Domestic Abuse Services, HARV Housing and Safer Together EVAWG consortia. I have worked in the charitable sector for 25 years. In 2020 I became a board member and trustee for Women’s Aid National.

I am committed to ending violence against women and girls and I campaign nationally to ensure the EVAWG specialists have a voice in policy, legislation and the procurement of services.

For a long time I have been frustrated with the lack of infrastructure for specialist services and inadequate support for victims of abuse.

The Emily Davison Centre not only provides a safe accessible space for women and girls to access support and start the road to recovery, but it also provides an environment where specialists can share expertise, knowledge and skills that will inevitably not only strengthen the sector but will have direct benefits for the entire community.

Founder – Debbie Fawcett

I have worked in the domestic abuse sector for 20 years.

I have a wide range of experience from initiating a number of domestic abuse charities, developing consortia and leading National programmes of innovation.

I have been a trustee for a number of years for a wide range of community services, and have a particular skill set around organisational change, people management and capacity building.

I have recently been studying trading and sustainability with the school for social entrepreneurs, I am currently responsible for managing over one million pound budgets. I have extensive experience of monitoring and project management. I also have an MA in voluntary sector management and a post graduate in safeguarding children.

I am committed to making the world a safer place for women and girls.

Trustee – Jess Chorley

I am currently the youngest on the team and I am constantly in awe of the amount of knowledge and experience on the board.

At 17 I started an apprenticeship with HARV and today I am now responsible for co-ordinating services for children and young people who have been impacted by the experience of domestic abuse. I am in my second year of a 3 year Social Work apprenticeship with the University of Central Lancashire.

My role on the board is to ensure that children and young people are listened too, and can participate fully in the centres activities and services.

Trustee – Farhana Ayub-Khan

I have worked in the EVAWG (Ending Violence Against Women & Girls) sector since graduating as a social worker in 2010.

I currently work for a National Service as a ISAC (Independent Stalking Advocacy Caseworker) and I continue to be a practice educator for social work students at the centre.

I am committed to equality and the main reason I became a trustee of the EDC is because of the intersectional values of the charity. The centre also acts as a hub of experience and knowledge, I am looking forward to leading on some of these practices that will enhance services for everyone.

Trustee – Winnie Delaney

I have worked in the Domestic Abuse Sector for over 25 years.

I am a qualified counsellor and supervisor, and have worked as an IDVA (Independent Domestic Violence Advocate) for 10 of those years.

I am currently managing the adult services within HARV (Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Domestic Abuse Charity). HARV currently supports over 1000 vulnerable women and 650 children per year.

I have been involved in developing and improving domestic abuse practice on a Local, Regional and National level. I got involved with the Emily Davison Centre because I could see first-hand the need for services to be under one roof and for specialists to work in collaboration

Trustee – Rachel McKiernan

I am loving being involved in the magic that is happening at the EDC. I am a qualified social worker and I have been working with vulnerable children for over 10 years.

I am currently employed as an advocate for a National EVAWG (Ending Violence Against Women & Girls) Service, with senior responsibilities.

Working in the sector is often frustrating and can be a lonely place, what excites me the most about being a trustee at the EDC is that we now have the infrastructure to bring colleagues, stakeholders and users alike together under one roof to deal with and respond to the complexity of issues that are prevalent in violence against women and girls.

Trustee – Saeeda Mayat

I have worked in the domestic abuse sector for over 15 years initially in front line practice and for the last 10 years in management.

I have been a board member for a specialist domestic abuse service over the last 4 years, serving as a chair for the last two.

I am currently employed as Chief Operations Manager for a national charity, providing strategic and front line management. I also have 7 years’ experience in leadership and management in the private sector and served as vice chair on a school governing board for 4 years. I have extensive experience in HR, training and development, management and leadership, strategic planning, monitoring and evaluating, report writing and project management.

I am currently in the final months of a Masters in Business Administration (MBA). As a member of the BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) community in Lancashire, I am keen to not only ensure that BAME women and girls can access safe and secure services, but that there is full representation of BAME women within the workforce.

Meet The Team

Get In Touch With Us Today

Important Links

Get In Touch