Our Team
Learn more about each member of our team below:
The HAZ Team
Colette Brolly (HAZ Co-ordinator for Older People)
Colette is currently co-ordinator for Older People in the Western Health Action Zone and facilitator of the Later Years Sub-Group of Investing for Health.
Colette took up post in May 2002 and her present post has responsibility for developing, managing and evaluating projects to improve the health and well-being of older people within the Western Health Action Zone area.
Colette is a psychology graduate of Queen's University Belfast and prior to her current post has spent 12 years working in various posts within the Western Health and Social Services Board.
Outside work, Colette has been a part-time youth leader with the Western Education & Library Board for the last 15 years. She is married to Michael and they have two boys, Marc and Josh.
Dawn Thompson (Personal Secretary)
Dawn was appointed Personal Secretary to the Western Health Action Zone in May 2002.
Dawn completed her AMSPAR Medical Secretary Diploma at Armagh College of Further Education in June 1992.
Her first post was in the office of the Director of Personnel and Support Services at Armagh & Dungannon Trust Headquarters. After a short period of time, she moved to South Tyrone Hospital, Dungannon, to take up post of Personal Secretary in the Surgical Department before being appointed General Administrative Assistant to two Consultant Surgeons. Dawn worked in South Tyrone Hospital to 1999 when the surgical services on this site were downgraded, hence a move to Craigavon Area Hospital site.
Dawn worked in Craigavon Area Hospital until March 2002 when she married Richard and moved to the North West!
Outside work, Dawn completed NVQ Level 2 in Beauty Therapy at the North West Institute of Further & Higher Education in June 2006.
Julie McGinty (HAZ Co-ordinator for Family Poverty)
Julie McGinty is currently co-ordinator for Families and Poverty in the Western Health Action Zone and facilitator of the Early Years Sub-Group of Investing for Health.
Julie took up post in May 2002 and her present post has responsibility for developing, managing and evaluating projects to improve the health and wellbeing of disadvantaged or vulnerable families within the Western Health and Social Services Board.
Julie is a former Treatment Room and Practice Nurse and graduated from University of Ulster in 1999 with an Hons degree in Community Nursing/Nurse Practitioner of General Practice.
Outside work, Julie enjoys gardening and has three children, Aoife, Conor and Ciara.
Siobhan Sweeney (HAZ Manager)
Siobhan was appointed as Manager of the Western Health Action Zone in December 2003.
Siobhan graduated from the University of Ulster in 1986 with BSc (Hons) degree in Social Administration. Siobhan completed the Advanced Diploma in Education in 1988 and gained a Post Graduate Diploma in Health Promotion in 2002.
Siobhan held a number of teaching and training posts before joining Westcare Health Promotion in 1995 as Health Promotion Officer for Drugs and Alcohol. She was appointed Assistant Manager in 1998 with responsibility for community development. Within this role she developed a strong commitment to community development as an essential approach to health improvement and the reduction of health inequalities.
As Manager of the Western HAZ, Siobhan has continued to develop partnership working and community development as crucial elements to the success of Investing for Health and the Health Action Zone.
Siobhan is married to Martin and has three children, Jimmy, Emma and Aine.
The Cookit! Team
Ann Gallen (Clerical Officer)
Ann is the new temporary administration assistant for the Cook it! project. She was appointed to the post in April 2006.
Ann is returning to work after a five year break. She has previously worked in Estate Services and Planning Department in Gransha and has also worked in a GP practice in Great James Street Health Centre.
Claire Holmes (Cook it! Dietitian)
Claire Holmes is the Dietitian co-ordinating Cook it! - a healthy eating and cooking skills programme produced by the Health Promotion Agency (HPA) for use in Northern Ireland and particularly aimed at people for whom cost is an important consideration.
Previously Claire worked for Sperrin Lakeland Trust as Community Dietitian for Fermanagh. Promoting healthy eating has always been of particular interest and during her years with Sperrin Lakeland, Claire was heavily involved in the initiation of a number of innovative projects such as the 'Bone Fun Days' (educating young adolescents about bone health) and 'Fit Food' (a group approach to weight management based on the SIGN guidelines).
In 2000 - 2001, Claire was one of the Community Dietitians who worked with the HPA to update the Cook it! programme to its current format. The Cook it! project, which is funded for three years by the Big Lottery, aims to train and support Cook it! tutors, recruited from community and voluntary organisations, who will then deliver the six week Cook it! course in their localities.
Shauna Houston (Development Officer)
Shauna is the Development Officer on the Cook it! project based at the Western Health Action Zone. She took up post on 24th January 2005 and is responsible for co-ordinating and supporting the delivery of the Cook it! programme using a community development approach.
Shauna graduated from the University of Ulster with BSc. Hons Housing. Shauna worked in various training and education posts where she provided community training for women who were not economically employed and led support groups for female survivors of domestic violence prior to joining the Cook it! team.
Shauna has carried out various pieces of research in Northern Ireland including "Integrated Social Housing" & "Lifetime Homes in Northern Ireland".
Shauna is married to Mark and has two children.
