Meet the Team - Staff
Chief Officer
Faye Herbert
Hello,
my name is Faye. I started working for HSB 2018 as Volunteer Manager.
I have spent the last few years developing the volunteer recruitment and training programme and building up the volunteer team.
I am now in post as the Chief Officer and look forward to working alongside the staff team, trustees and volunteers to continue and develop the services HSB has to offer.
Sight Support Advisor
Jane Sellers
Hello there,
My name is Jane Sellers and I am a Sight Support Advisor here at Halifax Society for the Blind.
I started in the role in August 2019 just before the opening of our new Sight Centre.
Before coming to HSB I was a Specialist Resource Technician working with Children and young people with a visual impairment at Calderdale Council.
Officer Support Assistant
Brittany Herbert
My Name is Brittany, and I am the newest member of the HSB team. I have been hired as a ‘admin support assistant’ which means I will be working alongside the team to help in any way I can.
You may have spoken to me on the phone recently as I have been completing the surveys with you all to get some feedback following the recent move to Southgate!
Don’t be afraid to say hello and I look forward to meeting you face to face in the near future!
Sight Support Advisor
Luke Spink
Hi,
My name is Luke Spink and I am a Sight Support Advisor here at Halifax Society for the Blind. Living with a visual impairment myself, I feel this helps me gain a better understanding of the wants and needs of our members.
I am also the Project Officer for our AVIATORS Project, this means that I am responsible for the upkeep of the equipment, and helping with any technical issues when they arise.
I am also the Publication Officer for Halifax Society for the Blind, this means I get the opportunity to create different material to help promote events and activities for the society and also designed and created this website.
Activities Co-ordinator
Tina Twibill
Hello,
My name is Tina Twibill, I am the Activities Coordinator. My role is to organise social activities within Halifax Society for the Blind and around the community. My background is working in a Further Education College as the College SENCO, but I did many roles within the 31 years I worked there. I was appointed into this role nearly 2 years ago, I have loved every day.
My day-to-day activities may include talking with members about what activities they might enjoy, organising transport and trips out in the local community and helping people take part in the activities.
Engagement Officer
Damian Maccallum
Hello
My name is Damian MacCallum, I am the new Engagement Officer at Halifax Society for the Blind. I start my new role in April 2024 and I am really looking forward to joining the team and supporting members of our community living with sight loss. My role is to engage with new and current members, develop friendships with external community groups and services as well as bring fresh ideas to the team to help this amazing charity keep growing into the future.
I have lived with sight loss since being diagnosed at 18 with Retinitis pigmentosa. I hope my lived experience of sight loss can help me deliver support and guidance to others living with a visual impairment. Living with sight loss has taught me many things, the main thing being that no matter how much vision you have you can still do amazing things and create lasting memories.
Meet the Team - Trustees
Trustee - Chairperson
Sue Mort
I have over 25 years of experience as a practising Qualified Habilitation Specialist. During my career I led a team, teaching mobility, orientation, independent living skills, and supporting the wellbeing of children and young people in a Local Authority, covering mainstream, specialist, and Further Education settings. I work freelance and have been part of the strategic development of the Yorkshire and Humber tracker tool, in addition to serving on the executive board for Habilitation VIUK at regional and national level.
I am a committed trustee, currently Chairing our fabulous Society, however in my ‘spare’ time I am care-taker of two tortoises, 3 ducks, a flock of chickens an acre of growing garden, along with a rusty old camper van, ‘Harriet’, touring Britain’s coastlines when time allows!
Trustee
Suzanne Mitchell
My name is Suzanne and I became a trustee during lockdown due to a chance encounter with a staff member.
I have a long interest in sight loss, previously managed a Town Centre optical practice along with my husband Duncan for 17 years. My retail experience, networking connections with other town Center businesses and recruitment skills have hopefully been valuable to the society.
Now retired I enjoy spending time in Cyprus, and have recently completed a marathon alphabetical tour. Along with two friends we have visited a different place each year starting with Amsterdam ending in Zagreb which gave us the opportunity to visit a lot of places we would never seen.
I am looking forward to developing our new town Center hub and bringing lots of new opportunities and activities to the sight loss community
Trustee
Tegan Darby
I have been involved in supporting people with a visual impairment for over 15 years, firstly in a voluntary role, and then latterly qualifying as a Vision Rehabilitation Specialist.
Day to day I support adults with sight loss across Yorkshire by teaching practical skills to enable independence and by promoting wellbeing. I strongly believe that alongside rehab support, the impact that local organisations such as HSB have can be invaluable for people.
I particularly love that HSB has such a variety of services available, and I look forward to becoming more involved as I begin my role as a trustee.
Trustee
Hilary Newton
I joined Halifax Society for the Blind in October of 2021 as a Trustee after 38 years in the commercial world as a Management Consultant initially with PwC and lately with IBM. In my spare time I enjoy walking, travel and embroidery.