 | Disabled Parents Network (DPN) is a national organisation of and for disabled people who are parents or who hope to become parents, and their families, friends and supporters. |  Contact Us 0300 3300 639 |
| Disabled Parents Network (DPN) is a national organisation of and for disabled people who are parents or who hope to become parents, and their families, friends and supporters. | Contact Us 0300 3300 639 |
Simone was born with impairments resulting from Thalidomide and lives alone with her eleven year old daughter in Reading, Berkshire.
Simone’s involvement with Disabled Parents Network began in 1998 following an unsuccessful attempt to obtain support in her parenting role. She became determined to play a part in bringing about change for disabled parents.
Since 2002, Simone has been a recipient of Direct Payments, and employs four members of staff to support her.
Simone Chairs the Reading Physical Disability and Sensory Needs Partnership Board, and has been directly involved in creating a Disabled Parents Protocol for Reading Borough Council, and a Young Carers Strategy for Reading.
Simone is Vice-Chair of her daughter’s primary school governing body, a member of the Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board - a Non Departmental Public Body accountable to the Department for Work and Pensions and the Secretary of State. She also serves as an Appeals Panel Member for Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance appeals tribunal hearings.
Simone has written and contributed to a number of published articles and features relating to her impairment and her experiences as a disabled parent and regularly makes presentations at national and local events.
Andrew is Company Secretary and Administrator for the Research Institute for Consumer Affairs (RICA), and an Associate Member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators.
He has been visually impaired since birth with hereditary cone-rod dystrophy.
Andrew lives in Bedfordshire and is married with two children. He enjoys reading, music, history and football, but reluctantly admits to being a season ticket holder at the mighty Watford FC!
Self-employed stay-at-home disabled Dad, Steve, used to be a Church leader, youthworker, counsellor, writer, educational consultant, and director of a webhosting company before Fibromyalgia & CFS prevented him from working.
Steve oversees the day-to-day operational activity of the organisation, particularly the Support Service and Staff, and looks after all the techy whizz-bang bits of DPN - the website and support enquiry log - and provides similar services for other charities and organisations. Steve is also the Local Network Link for Thurrock, Essex where he lives with his wife and our assistant webeditor, 2 year old son, Samuel.
Reesha Armstead is DPN's Treasurer and Membership Secretary and also helps to support our staff and volunteers. She has been involved with DPN from the very beginning and enjoys the wide variety of work that she does. Working from home for an organisation like ours enables Reesha the freedom to be able to work at her own pace.
Reesha lives in Leicestershire with her husband, two daughters, her cat and her dog.
Donna has worked as an advocate and provided training on Physical & Sensory disabilities & learning disabilities for 5 years with People's Voices, and manages a drop-in for people with physical or sensory disability in her home town of Milton Keynes, where she also serves as DPN's Local Network Link.
Married for 12 years and with two girls (10 and 11) who compete in freestyle dance competitions all over the country, Donna previously managed our Support Service for a short time and is now putting her time and energies into establishing and managing our new advocacy service.
Andrew's professional background in project and programme management, fundraising and public relations puts him in a good position to support the numerous charities and organisations that he is involved in, including TAMBA, Shelter, and his local infant school PTA.
Becoming disabled with a form of reactive arthritis in 1996 after working for a humanitarian aid agency in field duties in Rwanda, and having a congenital cardiac condition, don't stop Andrew from being a Parish Councilor, officer of the Southern Parishes Joint Committee, Co-Chair of Bucks Disability Service, a Trustee of Bucks Disability Information Network and Trustee of Disabled Parents Network!
Paizah used to be a special needs teacher and lecturer, graduated from London University and City University, and has five girls.
She has been working with voluntary and community groups for disabled people for the past 14 years, was on the management committee, panel of task force, panel of recruitment team and representative to local partnership strategic plan. Paizah is currently project manager of a limited company providing services to people with hearing disabilities and mild mental health issues, and was recently co-opted as a Trustee.
last updated: 02 Dec 08
tags : trustees about profiles
Registered Office: Disabled Parents Network, 81 Melton Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2 8EN. Registered Charity No: 1087662
Download this article as PDF