The Reverend Donald Ker (Honorary Chair)

The Reverend Donald Ker is Superintendent Minister of Belfast Central Mission - an agency of the Methodist Church in Ireland which seeks to offer Christian worship and care to all in need.

Previous appointments have included some time spent in theological education as a lecturer in the New Testament, as well as involvement in interdenominational University Chaplaincy work in both Dublin and Belfast. He is also currently District Superintendent for the Belfast District of the Methodist Church.

Donald is married with four grown-up children. As well as trying to keep abreast with New Testament studies he enjoys walking, listening to music and dreaming about classic cars.

The Reverend John Wonnacott (Executive Chair)

Having served as a Methodist minister in rural Fermanagh and on the outskirts of Dublin, The Reverend John Wonnacott was sent to work two years ago with the Belfast Central Mission Circuit of which the Springfield Road congregation, one of the four founding partners of Forthspring, is a part. He loves to go hill walking when time permits and since the birth of his daughter sleep has been another elusive hobby.

Samuel Bright (Cornerstone)

Samuel Bright lives and work at Cornerstone Community, a partner organization of Forthspring. He comes from the Springfield Road Area, and participated in the Youth programmes as Forthspring when he was younger.

Sam is involved in various projects at his home church - The Metropolitan Tabernacle.

Norma Dodds (Board of Directors)

Norma Dodds has been a member of one of the founder groups Cornerstone for the past 25 years, and has been involved in cross community work for that period. Her background is in Social Work and am a member of The Curragh Women’s' Group.

Pam Kane (Board of Directors)

Pam Kane was one of the founding members of Forthspring. Today Pam is an active volunteer with the ‘Golden Girls’, the Friday senior citizens group as well as a member of the women’s group.

Pam is married with a grown up family and is a grandmother of 5. Her hobbies include art and craft, car boot ales and visiting London.

Bridget McCourt (Board of Directors)

Bridget McCourt is a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of
Jesus and Mary. Their headquarters is in Chigwell, Essex, England. Over the past fifty years she has served in England, Scotland, Zambia, and California and now in Belfast. She lives with another sister on the peace line in a small house owned by the Methodist Church.

Part of her ministry is working as a volunteer in Forthspring Inter Community Group.

Barbara Watson (Board of Directors)

Barbara Watson is an active member of Springfield Road Methodist Church. She has a grown up family and enjoys spending time in her caravan by the seaside.

Anthony Bailey, OBE, KCSS, (Other Board Members)

Anthony Bailey is a well known London based inter-faith campaigner and philanthropist with a deep interest in Irish affairs. He has generously supported Forthspring’s community programmes since 2002. Through his communications company, Eligo International, he has also assisted Forthspring by increasing international awareness of its work as well as raising much needed funds allowing the continuation of its community programmes. Anthony was knighted by Pope John Paul II in 2004 in recognition of his charitable and interfaith work and in June 2008 appointed an OBE by HM The Queen in recognition of his services to charity. Anthony comes from an Irish Catholic and British Protestant family and in October 2008 married HSH Princess Marie-Therese von Hohenberg of Austria.

Peter O'Reilly (Other Board Members)

Peter O Reilly began working in peace building in 1994. He was a volunteer mediator for three years, until 1998, when he became a full time employee of Mediation Northern Ireland. He is now Assistant Director with responsibility for Services. His work includes Dispute Intervention and Good Relations facilitation in several sectors. He also manages the mediation service and related projects. He has experience as a practitioner and supervisor in various types of cases [Community Relations, Workplace, Neighbourhood, Church, Community, etc.]. He has delivered training programmes and workshops, both regional and international.

Helen Smith (Other Board Members)

Helen Smith grew up in Dungannon, a small town forty-five miles west of Belfast. Her enduring interests in faith, sport and literature were nurtured there.

She is currently employed to recruit and support volunteers from a variety of churches to work in community projects in disadvantaged areas of Belfast.

Apart from four years teaching Religious Education most of her working life has been spent in Youth and Community Work.  During the worst of the conflict here she was working in a large city centre youth club. This was a formative and challenging experience leading to a commitment to peace-building and assisting disadvantaged areas in our city.

Bernie Laverty (Director)

Bernie Laverty has been Director of Forthspring since it’s inception in 1997. Her role entails overall management of the project, as well as some developmental work with women and Good Relations Training.

Bernie’s background is in Youth Work, graduating with BSc (Hons) in Community Youth Work in 1991 (University of Ulster at Jordanstown) and she has recently completed an MSc Voluntary Sector Management at Cass Business School, London.

Bernie sits on the Board of Directors of Community Dialogue, Belfast Interface Project and Include Youth.

Deirdre McMahon (Detached Youth Worker)

Deirdre McMahon is employed as the detached youth worker. She qualified as a Youth and Community Worker from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth in 2003.

As part of her Diploma she completed a student placement in Belfast which strengthened her ongoing interest in the political situation in Northern Ireland. She moved to Belfast after her graduation to pursue a career in youth work. She volunteered for Forthspring before taking up employment in the youth department.

Other interests include music, travel, culture and reading. She enjoys meeting new people as a way of understanding different cultures which advances her knowledge of the world.

Anne Marie Strong (Playwork co-ordinator)

Anne Marie Strong has worked with Forthspring since 2001, initially as Assistant Play worker, and more recently as full time Play work Co-ordinator. She has worked in the childcare sector for a number of years and recently completed her NVQ3 in Play work. Anne Marie is a member of the women’s group at Forthspring. Anne Marie has one son, Ruairi who is 10.

Suzanne Thompson (Volunteer Coordinator)

Suzanne Thompson joined Forthspring in the newly created post of Volunteer Coordinator in 2004. She had previously worked for the local volunteer centre supporting local community based agencies to develop volunteering, with a particular emphasis on involving young people and members of other under-represented groups such as people with disabilities. She also sits on the Executive Board of the Volunteer Development Agency and the Northern Ireland Millennium Volunteers Committee.

In her spare time she is currently completing a degree with the Open University.

Janet Weir (Café Cook)

Janet Weir has been employed as Cook within the Community café at Forthspring since April 2006. Previously Janet has worked as cook and café manager in local schools and various community groups. Janet is the proud grandmother of 3 children and mother to a son and daughter.

In her spare time Janet has many hobbies including walking with her dog, wine tasting, reading, holidaying abroad and reading.

Neil Morris (Finance Officer)

Neil Morris is the Financial Consultant to Forthspring. He is a Chartered Accountant and trained with Peat Marwick International in Dublin and was also a Senior Management consultant with BDO Binder Hamlyn in Belfast. Since then he has been a consultant to over 30 charities in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and he has a heart for church-based community work.

Neil loves tennis and golf and at week-ends he coaches his son’s mini-rugby team and spends quality family time with his wife Heather and sons Peter and David.

Maria McKenna (Clerical Officer)

Maria Mc Kenna has worked as the clerical officer at Forthspring in October 1999. Maria commenced employment with Forthspring after returning home from Austraila where she had lived for a number of years.

Maria has 2 sons and a baby daughter who take up most of her spare time. And when she has any free time she enjoys reading, walking and socialising.

Eileen Smyth (Caretaker)

Eileen Smyth has workers as caretaker at Forthspring from 1998. Eileen has 4 grown up children and 2 grandchildren.

Eileen is a DIY enthusiast, as well as enjoying her garden and socialising.

Kat Beirne (Brethren Volunteer Service - USA)

Kat is a volunteer, from California and is at Forthspring through the BVS volunteer programme USA. Kat has been in placement from July 2005. She studied for 1 year in Cork and was keen to return to Ireland, as she loved the country and has a keen interest in marrying an Irish man.

At Forthspring Kat works with the toddlers and youth and her goal is to: save the world!

Kat is an avid long distance runner and will be competing in the Belfast marathon for a 2nd year in May.

Lydia Hommel (IDJGE - Germany)

Lydia Hommel who hails from the Saxony region of Germany is being sponsored by IDJE in Germany. Lydia has been volunteering at Forthspring since August 2006 and her work includes the afterschools and youth projects. Lydia came to Belfast just after completing her A Levels and is interested in pursuing a career in youth work, particularly faith-based youth work.

Lydia is very active within her church and in Christian endeavours.

Outside of church and her volunteering role Lydia is interested in sports and Irish dancing.