Board of Directors
Pat Shea Halson (Chair)
Businesswoman Pat Shea Halson first became involved after undertaking one of Train 2000's higher level business skills courses; a Certificate in Supervisory Management in conjunction with John Moore's University. Having benefited greatly from the programme she joined the board of directors as part of her commitment to ensuring other women had similar opportunities to access high quality support.
Pat, who has been in business for almost 10 years now, set up the Centre for Personal Development which provides training for would-be counsellors. Prior to starting up in business Pat worked in a factory for 13 years before training as a counsellor herself and it was at this stage she decided she would like to run her own business. Within her current role, Pat enjoys working with women who undertake the Basic Counselling & Communications Skills Course as this helps them to improve their confidence and self-esteem. She is particularly adept with working with women who have been out of the job market for some time.
Pat is passionate about the work of Train 2000 and as a chair of the board believes that the organisation plays a vital role in assisting women into enterprise and employment but recognises that much more needs to be done to ensure equality of opportunity for all women.
Rita Bebbington (Company Secretary)
Rita is one the founding members of Train 2000. She had a distinguished career within the Transport and General Workers Union as a recruitment officer where she developed her skills in engaging with a range of women from the private and third sectors. She is an active campaigner on equal pay for women and low pay issues. She has driven the strategic development of Train 2000 since its inception and takes an active role within the organisation a volunteer on a two-day per week basis. She has a specific interest in the development of a centre for women's entrepreneurs.
Maya Vivian
Maya, is a lecturer in Psychology and Essential and Core Skills Communication at Wirral Metropolitan College. Maya became a lecturer just five years ago, having returned to education as a mature student graduating with a BA Honours degree, she very much understands the different issues that women face at the different stages of their lives, especially when returning to further and higher education and trying to enter the employment market after having been away for a long time. Maya has once again returned to education by undertaking an Open University Diploma in Psychology Conversion Course for Postgraduates to become eligible for Graduate Basis for Registration awarded by the British Psychological Society.
Sharon Dinsmore
In 2003, Sharon Dinsmore undertook Train 2000's Certificate in Supervisory Management at John Moore's University and it is from this point on that she became actively involved in Train 2000, joining the Board of Directors in 2005.
Sharon, who has two grown up children, has worked for the NHS since 1992, working in HR Management as an HR Advisor at Alder Hey Hospital before taking up an Administration role at the Royal Hospital.
On completion of Train 2000's Certificate in Supervisory Management, Sharon was then promoted to Department Manager at the Royal and it is this promotion that has spurred her on to want to help other women realise their full potential.
Through joining Train 2000's Board of Directors, Sharon seeks to encourage other women to return to education, just as she did, and is keen to be on hand to help any women wishing to do so.
Tina Kavanaugh
A local woman entrepreneur who has an active interest in assisting other women who wish to start and develop their own businesses. Her background includes working within Liverpool City Council Social Services Department and, as such, has an appreciation, and first hand experience, of working with people suffering from social and economic exclusion.
Jeanette Trainer
Jeanette is a qualified solicitor with specific expertise in the areas of social and community enterprise and was the founding member of one of the first housing co-operatives in Knowsley on Merseyside. She has been a board member of Riverside Housing Group one of the largest social housing providers on Merseyside and the Single Regeneration Budget Scheme in Northwood, Knowsley. She is currently a programme manager of local domestic violence project.
Angela Fulton
Angela Fulton joined Train 2000's Board of Directors in 2005 after getting involved with the organisation last year when she launched her own business "All in One" where she specialises in making maternity-wear and alterations.
Angela has however run her own business before, as prior to launching "All in One", she ran a sewing business from home and subsequently undertook her own sandwich round, in-between having her family.
Aside from being a businesswoman, Angela has four children, ranging in age from five to seventeen. In her spare time, she is on the Board of Governors at her local primary school and is the Treasurer and Executive member of the Liverpool Governors Forum.
Angela is also a volunteer, trustee and Committee member of the Liverpool Dyslexic Association and parentrepresentative on the Liverpool Dyslexic Project Steering Group and Liverpool Dyslexic Association representative on the Special Education Needs Forum.
Having dyslexia herself, Angela is very keen to promote awareness of dyslexia throughout Train 2000. Whilst being on Train 2000's Board of Directors, she is also keen to encourage other women who have children to consider self-employment too.
Alison Price
Alison Price has served as a director of Train 2000 for number of years. She is currently Head of Enterprise Education at Leeds Metropolitan University, providing academic leadership for the HEFCE funded Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, the "Institute for Enterprise".
Alison has over a decade's experience of enterprise teaching and curriculum development which has been enhanced by US experiences gained from a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) entrepreneurial programme at Sloan Management School.
Most recently, she worked within Business Start-Up at Leeds Metropolitan directly supporting graduates to start-up business and prior to that, she was engaged with the Department of Trade & Industry (DTi) programme "Science Enterprise Challenge" for the Universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York, stimulating entrepreneurial approaches to programme development and teaching materials.
Alison has published within the field of strategic management, corporate social responsibility and small business development. Her most recent research and consultancy has included projects for National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship; Higher Education Academy/DFES; and the Small Business Service. She is currently working on several book chapters to promote enterprise education. She is a passionate advocate of women's enterprise and has oversight of Train 2000's social and economic impact assessments.
Susan Osuji - Oshikanlu
Sue is Finance Manager for a local charity Health Energy Advice Ltd. She has extensive experience in the running of publicly funded services, managing and accounting for public and charitable funds. She has developed and implemented fit for purpose systems to ensure financial probity. As a resident of the Toxteth community she is acutely aware of barriers and issues faced by local communities and is committed to ensuring that local services are in place to reverse this trend of social and economic exclusion .