Established in 1998 to alleviate homelessness and the related effects on individuals, families and our communities
Board of Trustees
The volunteer Board of Trustees govern the organisation and in working closely with the Chief Executive has responsibility for directing the affairs of the charity, ensuring it is well run and managed, is financially sound and delivers services that meet the charity’s prime purpose and benefit the community in which it operates.
In order for Digartref to be an effective charity it is highly important that it is run and governed by a strong Board that has the right balance of skills and experience, acts at all times in the best interests of the charity and its beneficiaries, understands its responsibilities and has systems in place to exercise them properly.
Barbara Ann Hughes
Chair
Barbara has been a trustee on the board of Digartref since 2013. She is a retired GP and as worked an Anglesey since 1970. As she was a partner in a practice in Llangefni, the areas of expertise she brings to the work of the charity include the health of women and children an drug addiction. For 7 years she was the medical manager of the GP out of hours service and assisted in its setting up. She lives locally with her husband and has 3 adult children and 6 grandchildren.
Cheryl Kirkwood
Vice Chair
Cheryl is a local qualified housing professional, with over 10 years of experience working within the social housing sector covering the whole of North Wales, working in a front line capacity. Cheryl is a mum who has 1st hand experience of homelessness. Before joining our Board, previously she would come in and assist our Service Users with their Learn4Life courses. She enjoyed working with Digartref, so then applied for our vacant Board Member position. One of Cheryl’s personal goals is to make Anglesey a better place to call home. Cheryl believes everyone should have a safe place to call home.
Dafydd Jones
Treasurer
Dafydd is a local accountant who brings a wealth of knowledge and skill to the charity in the area of finance including, compliance with related legal requirements. His position on the board as Treasurer ensures support in setting budgets, monitoring spend and the production of finance/treasurer reports for presentation and explanation to the Board of Trustees as well as funding bodies.
Julia Morgan
Julia has retired from general practice having worked in Llangefni/Benllech area of Anglesey for 30 years and then joined Digartref as a Board Member. Julia has a in-depth medical knowledge, excellent communication skills, and experience of managing general practice team and dealing with the board cross section of our community, all of which assist the charity greatly in the work they carry out.
Steve Jones
Steve has worked in housing for over 30 years across the UK including Anglesey, Sheffield and in Scotland, after gaining a housing degree at Sheffield Hallam University, He is currently the Chief Executive of Tai Ceredigion, a community based LSVT housing association which he helped establish in 2009 to take over and improve the 2227 homes from Ceredigion County Council. He is a board member of the Chartered Institute of Housing Cymru and Digartref. Steve is also Chairman of the Wales Rural Housing Strategic Group. Steve is a fluent Welsh speaker who is committed to providing services bilingually.
Mal Blackburn
Mal has been a trustee board member since 2014 and was previously a registered psychiatric nurse and a registered social worker. Mal brings a wealth of experience to the Board having worked with vulnerable people for most of her professional career, including as a manager in residential care. She moved into support services including policy, quality assurance and staff development before taking up a support services management post in local government, as a senior manager for Hull City council. Since retirement, Mal has worked in the voluntary sector, social work education and work based learning for adult.
Keith Griffiths
Keith Griffiths is a local Chartered Building Surveyor trading as an independent sole practitioner. His company is primarily concerned with the conservation of vernacular buildings and landscape. As a trustee he hopes that he can contribute by assisting with the maintenance of the property assets of Digartref. Homelessness is a blight on any culture, and he considers that a s a trustee of Digartref he is best placed to contribute to turning the tide of this problem on Anglesey.
Mary Roberts
Mary has worked in policy and public affairs in the charitable and not for profit sector for a number of years where she has successfully led campaigns on a range of issues, including in-work poverty, food security and bee decline. With a Master’s degree in law and a dedication to social justice issues, she brings her strategic communication, project management and research skills to Digartref. Mary is a fluent Welsh speaker who lives locally.
Nick Lane
Nick is a Business Development and Marketing professional with extensive experience in strategic business guidance, digital transformation and brand development across Australia and the UK. Passionate about personal recovery, Nick joined London not-for-profit supported housing provider St Martin of Tours in 2019. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team as the Head of Business Development and Marketing, Nick led a period of organisational change and innovation. Nick relocated to Cardiff in 2022 to take up an opportunity with the WRU, but with a drive to remain connected for the not-for profit sector and improve the lives of vulnerable members of the community, Nick joined the board of Digartref in October 2022.
Damian Hamilton
Damian has been working with disadvantaged people of all ages for over 45 years whilst serving with the DWP, and all its previous limitations; he has specialised in various disciplines, including becoming the Partnership Manager for Ynys Mon and Gwynedd, working with all outside organisations from the third sector, local authorities, the Police, social services, and businesses across the two counties. He has worked across England, Scotland and Wales in leading projects aimed at delivering the best possible service to the DWP customers, through closer working with all other service delivery organisations. He has been leading the DWP teams in jobcentres across North and Mid Wales, having managed Llangefni, Holyhead, Amlwch, Llandudno, Colwyn Bay, and Rhyl. He has worked closely with customers aged from 18 to 24, in developing their knowledge and skills, dedicating work coaches to this age group. He has experience in dealing with substance and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, modern slavery and in recognising outside control of vulnerable customers. He has been on of a specialist team, monitoring and evaluating the budget spend for the largest DWP district in Wales, including DWP funded projects across the private and third-party sectors. He is at present getting to know and understand Digartref Cyf, its projects and delivery methodology.
John Fraser
John is a local Project Management Consultant and Chartered Quantity Surveyor. His experience and contacts are within the building and civil engineering industries mainly in north Wales but further afield. He has operated as his own limited company since 2006 working for private and public clients and charities As a trustee of Digartref he hopes to use his experience to assist the organisation primarily with the estates and property asset maintenance and development. He also is keen to be be involved and assist in the wider objectives and functions of the organisation. John has been a resident of Anglesey for several years. John joined the Board in 2023 although had been assisting with the HEC project earlier.