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Co Chair's 

               Illustration of Vice Chair GinaIllustration of Co Chair Amanda

Gina Vettese, Co-Chair of Merton CIL - I am vice chair of Merton CIL and have been involved in the organisation since it was a steering group. I have been Disabled since I was 13 years old. I use a mobility scooter and I live in Merton. I am very passionate about speaking up about accessibility in Merton and on transport. I am also a talented seamstress and I enjoy creating wedding dresses in my spare time. I enjoy being vice chair at Merton CIL because it gives me a voice and I feel like I am being of service to Disabled people.

Amanda Edwards, Co Chair & Secretary of Merton CIL - Merton CIL has expanded quickly and now needs to sustain that growth and good reputation. I am keen to use my experience of how organisations work gained from my time at SCIE & department of Health to give an independent view. I enjoy being on the board of Merton CIL because I share the values of inclusion and equality. 

              Illustration of Estifanos Vice Chair Sarah - Sarah is Disabled and lives in Merton. She brings her sense of fun and adventure to every board meeting. Sarah is very involved with our Craftivism and Chat project.

Estifanos Habtesellasie, Vice Chair of Merton CIL - I joined the board at Merton CIL in 2017. I began volunteering and getting involved at Merton CIL in 2015. I am Disabled and I live in Merton. I have grown to represent Merton CIL at a number of community engagement meeting and forums. I am also a founding member of our monitoring and evaluation group which improves our services. I am keen to contribute to Merton CILs future direction. I like being able to contribute more to Merton CIL's work and feed into Merton CIL's strategic direction.

Sarah Henley, Trustee of Merton CIL - I am Disabled living in Merton. I try to bring my sense of fun and adventure to every board meeting. I have been very involved with developing our Craftivism & Chat project as I love to paint and speak up about issues that affect Disabled people. I enjoy being on the board at Merton CIL because I can use my own lived experience to help others and feel my learning impairment brings a unique perspective. 

 

               Raheema - Raheema is Disabled and lives in Merton. She joined Merton CIL to fight for the rights of Disabled people and help make things better. She worked as a Civil Servant for many years and was on the Disability Advisory Group in her department. Raheema is also a founding member of Merton CIL’s monitoring and evaluation steering group, which aims to improve the services delivered by Merton CIL. Meet Claire - Claire is a visually impaired mum of 2 Disabled children and has lived in Merton for over 15 years. For the last 20 years Claire has worked in the public sector promoting the involvement of Disabled people in decisions that affect their lives.

Raheema Olajide, Trustee of Merton CIL - I am a Disabled Merton resident. I joined Merton CIL to fight for the rights of Disabled people and help make things better. I worked as a Civil Servant for many years and was on the Disability Advisory Group in my department. I am also a founding member of Merton CIL’s monitoring and evaluation steering group, which improves our services. I enjoy being on the board at Merton CIL because I want to help make things better for Disabled people. 

 

Claire Benjamin, Trustee of Merton CIL - I am a visually impaired mum of 2 Disabled children. I have lived in Merton for over 15 years. I have worked passionately for the past 20 years in the public sector promoting the involvement of Disabled people in decisions that affect their lives. I like being a trustee at Merton CIL because it gives me a sense of empowerment and achievement to work with other Disabled people in order to promote equality and independence. 

Illustration of Chris Bull Trustee

Chris Bull, Trustee of Merton CIL - I have been involved with Merton CIL since it was a steering group. I am Disabled and live in the east of Merton. I have a physical disability and use an electronic wheelchair. I am an active member of Merton CIL - I am part of our monitoring and evaluation steering group and regularly attend craftivism & chat. I am also an access champion. I am keen to work to improve the lives of local Deaf and Disabled people by sharing my lived experience. 

Daniel Beglin Bio

Daniel Beglin, Trustee of Merton CIL - I am an autistic person and identify as Disabled. I grew up in Merton with my parent who are also Disabled. I care for my mother whilst working as a Community Psychiatric Nurse having registered recently. Whilst at university I constantly pushed the profile of neurodiverse students and engaged with academic staff on the accessibility of university resources. I've worked with Merton CIL on the issue of pavement parking and have contacted Merton Councillors on this pressing issue multiple times to no avail. I am determined to use my experience and knowledge to join Merton CIL's Board to push to make Merton a more accessible and inclusive borough for Disabled residents.

 

Kirstin Bio

 

Kirsten Hellard, Trustee of Merton CIL - I am a Disabled person, a Merton resident, and a mother. I've experienced firsthand the incredible impact Merton CIL has on people's lives, including my own. My career has been all about empowering Disabled people in various ways, from care services, to co-designing service spaces and employemtn projects. I also launched a pilot project for Morden NHS patients with learning disabilities, to ensure they were offered Social Prescribing pro-actively. As a former manager of a care service and staff team, I've learned a lot about leadership and solving problems. I have a strong interest in making sure everyone gets a fair chance, which is where my special interest in human resources and equality law comes in. I believe in the amazing work Merton CIL does and I'll use my experience to support Merton CIL's mission. I'm dedicated to working with the team to make sure Merton CIL keeps growing and making a difference to the lives of Disabled people in our community.