Committee members

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Paul Montgomery
Paul Montgomery
Chair and Policy Lead

Paul has twenty years’ experience in fundraising across corporate, community, events and trust income streams.

With the first half of that career based in England, Paul started in fundraising at the Anthony Nolan Trust and later at Cancer Research UK. Upon returning to Northern Ireland, he has worked with NSPCC and has led the fundraising team at the Stroke Association since 2012.

Paul joined the Northern Ireland Regional Group committee in 2018.

Emma Corry
Emma Corry
Vice Chair and Communications Lead

Emma has worked in the charity sector for over ten years, having previously worked in marketing and communications roles in the public and private sectors. Her fundraising experience has included roles at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Diabetes UK and Parkinson’s UK. Currently she works as a fundraiser for Marie Curie Northern Ireland. Through these roles Emma has gained experience in a wide range of fundraising – community, major donor, events, trusts & foundations, corporate and individuals. Emma also has a Diploma in Marketing Communications and a Diploma in Fundraising.

Naomi Breen
Naomi Breen
Treasurer

Naomi is an experienced and adaptable fundraising professional with over ten years' community fundraising experience with a MInstF (Cert) with the Chartered Institute of Fundraising.

She is responsible for developing and implementing the community fundraising strategy in Northern Ireland for Diabetes UK, working independently but also as part of a regionally dispersed team. Naomi is highly skilled at relationship-led fundraising with a proven track record of building successful long lasting relationships with supporters and possess solid volunteer management skills.

Jimmy Laverty
Jimmy Laverty
Secretary

As Engagement Manager for the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Jimmy helps stimulate and support the flow of good quality applications; providing pre-application advice and support to potential applicants, contributing to and implementing outreach strategies. Jimmy is an expert on researching funding sources and has significant experience in helping groups obtain funding. He has sat on numerous grant assessment panels including various EU funds. He has an Advanced Diploma in Social Enterprise at the University of Ulster, is Diploma qualified from the Chartered Institute and is also a Volunteer Mentor for the Sported Charity and is Chairman of St Johns GAC, Drumnaquoile.

Julie Harvey
Julie Harvey
Communications Lead (website)

Julie has been working in fundraising since 2012 after experience in education and as a volunteer for health and disability charities. She is currently Corporate Fundraising Support Officer at NI Chest Heart and Stroke. Julie has experience across community, corporate, events and trust income streams as well as charity marketing and communications. Her previous roles include Muscular Dystrophy UK as Regional Development Manager, NI Fundraiser at Action for Children and Fundraising and Marketing Officer at Belfast Central Mission.

Julie joined the Northern Ireland Regional Group Committee in 2017 and has enjoyed being involved in planning the Annual NI Conference.

Clare Galbraith
Clare Galbraith

Clare has been working in the third sector for almost twelve years; eleven years in fundraising and one year in service delivery. Clare was Community Fundraising Manager with NSPCC Northern Ireland for nine years and took up the position of Corporate Fundraising Officer with AWARE in February 2018. She is currently the Fundraising Manager at AWARE. She has many years’ experience in both community and corporate fundraising, event and volunteer management and was delighted to manage the AWARE fundraising team that won Fundraising Team of the Year at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising NI Awards 2019.

Neal Somerville
Neal Somerville

Neal has worked in the charity and volunteer sector for over 20 years and brings a wealth of experience from the Direct Marketing and Face to Face world. He currently is the Face to Face Manager, Ireland for the RNLI while also holding a volunteer position with the Sea Cadets.  Neal has an array of experience in project and event management, and throughout his time in the fundraising sector has been involved in grants and trusts. Neal has sat on selection charity grants committees and has been a member of the committee since 2021. 

Stefani Mearns
Stefani Mearns

Stefani is an professional fundraiser with over 13 years’ experience in income generation, fundraising and volunteer management in the charity sector. She has a broad range of experience working with supporters, volunteers, service users and professionals across the public, private and third sectors.  Stefani’s passion is to inspire and motivate local fundraisers to grow personally and professionally to find their own potential and then to go on to inspire others to do the same. Stefani is currently Director of Income Generation for local charity Parenting NI.

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