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Liz and Derek

Liz and Derek moved from South Gloucestershire to Maesyfed in 2000. They had seen their 5 children grow up and start independent lives of their own. Both social work trained they have between them an enormous range of experience in working with people and in project development.

Liz trained as a Florist at Constance Spry and worked for MGM Film Studios, she emigrated to Canada but returned to England with an interest in training as a Probation Officer. Following her training she set up the first Victim Support Scheme in the Country and did much of the early pioneer work that has seen Victim Support develop and grow to what it is today. Alongside family commitments she turned to prison teaching and pioneered pre-release courses for prisoners serving life sentences at Leyhill Open Prison. Changing directions she studied for a honours degree in Landscape Architecture at Cheltenham College of Higher Education.

Derek, was brought up near Belfast, obtained a BSc in Physics at Queen's University, Belfast, and then when to Tanzania on VSO to teach. On his return he worked as a CSV volunteer with drug dependents before training as a teacher at Cambridge University. Derek then returned to working in Mental Health and went on to train as a social worker. He worked for Avon Social Services for 15 years during which time he set up a number of local initiatives including the Thornbury Volunteer Bureau. Derek then joined the National Schizophrenia Fellowship as an Operations Manager where amongst his many achievements he obtained Lottery Funding for an innovative Outreach Service for people labelled as having a Personality Disorder. Derek now works as a Consultant in Mental Health Recovery.