Maryann
CEO and Founder
Before Spiral started Maryann trained at the University of Cumbria where she qualified as a person-centred counsellor, she then went into private practice. Maryann founded Spiral in 2016 with 3 trustees. In the first 3 years Maryann worked as a counsellor supporting young people who used the service and has worked to develop Spiral services over the years and continues to do this. In her spare time, she loves to spend time with her family and friends, and enjoys walking. Maryann hopes for Spiral to continue to evolve as it has over the past years and make the positive changes it has to young people.
Dave
Training and Development Officer
My role also involves developing training for staff, volunteers, parents, and people seeking to increase their knowledge and skills to work with bullies and bullied young people. I intend to help workers to understand the dynamics of bullying. I also want to train people to coach young people to become unbullyable.
In my previous roles, I worked directly with young people as a therapeutic coach at Carlisle Youth Zone and Positive Steps. I have developed and delivered a range of training to staff and young people. These include Neuro Linguistic Programming, Emotional Freedom Technique, and the Chimp Paradox. I want to use my knowledge and experience to support staff and volunteers to help young people who experience bullying to become stronger and more resilient.
Work Mobile: 07562 691365
Sol
Youth Worker and Public Relations
Sol is a dedicated employee at Spiral, where he has been actively involved for three years. Spiral helped Sol achieve a Level 2 Youth Work qualification which has been greatly beneficial to his work. He also spent nearly a year volunteering at a youth group local to him. He works on multiple things here at Spiral including podcasts, working on promotional material, 1-2-1's drop-ins, events and more.
Work Mobile: 07562 691373
Anna Bainbridge
Trustee
Hi everyone, I’m Anna. I currently work in the NHS in the health psychology department and have a real passion for clinical psychology work. I have recently moved back to Carlisle and it has been really nice to be back so near the Lake District! In my spare time I really enjoy running, hiking, cooking, singing, and travelling, as well as going out with my friends. I am really passionate about the work Spiral is doing to improve access to services for young people in Cumbria, especially given the challenges the county faces with regards to health and wellbeing services.
Alan Brown OBE
Chair of Trustees
Alan joined the prison service as a Prison Officer in 1972. He served in 10 prisons and Prison Service Headquarters during a 38 year career. He was Deputy Governor in 2 prisons and then Governor in charge of 2 prisons.
In retirement he took over a private prison for 12 months as interim Director while a permanent appointment was made.
Alan has since retirement volunteered with the Teachers Regulation Agency, Cumbria Council and Westmorland and Furness Council as a panel member and chair, carrying out disciplinary and school appeal hearings. He also spent time as a school governor in Carlisle.
Alan was awarded an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) by the Queen in 2008 for services to the Prison Service and prisoners.
Alan enjoys going to the gym, walking and going on holiday.
He also enjoys supporting charity work.
Anne-Marie Bainbridge
Trustee
Anne-Marie is a passionate and energetic Diversity and Inclusion specialist with nearly 25 years’ experience in a variety of organisations and sectors, including housing, transport, legal, criminal justice, media, the NHS, education, central and local government. She is an excellent facilitator and coach with the ability to interpret complex organisational objectives into interactive and participative learning interventions and possesses expertise in working with executive and senior leaders assisting them to recognise their responsibilities in creating inclusive organisational cultures.
Enhancing all the work Anne-Marie is a member of Anti Racist Cumbria which has a mission to make Cumbria the first anti-racist county in the country, including working with local Cumbrian schools to assist them to demonstrate an ethos of being actively anti-racist. She is a Trustee for Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal where the mission is to bring innovative and diverse experiences to its audiences, is a member of Cumbria Constabulary’s Strategic Independent Advisory Group working with colleagues to ensure that anti-racism is regularly highlighted, she is a Trustee for the Restoration Trust which is a Norfolk based charity working in partnership with heritage, arts and health and social care organisations to offer culture therapy to people who live with mental health challenges and a Trustee for Woman Up, an events organisation focusing on equality, women’s rights and empowerment of minority groups.
Lynda
Youth Worker
Prior to working with Spiral, Lynda, ran her own hairdressing business for 13 years. She graduated with BSc degree in Applied Psychology at the University of Cumbria. She is passionate about her role within the Spiral team, providing psychoeducational coaching for young people who are want support with managing their emotional development and well-being.
In her spare time, she enjoys playing games with her children, walking their pet dog and keeping fit. She also enjoys shopping, playing music loudly and is a Newcastle United supporter.
Work Mobile: 07562 691369
Margaret O'Brien
Secretary
I have over 35 years' experience of working in the criminal justice system predominantly as a probation officer devoting much of this time to building expertise in assessment and intervention within the field of sexual offending.
In addition, I devised and delivered a wide range of training to an equally wide range of agencies, volunteers and university students.
I am now fully retired from paid work and my last position of employment was with a charity called Change, Grow, Live who were working towards the principal of ‘no more victims’ aiming to encourage the reintegration of sexual offenders back into their communities and support them to live a productive and non-offending life.
Although specialising in all aspects of sexual offending for the better part of 30 years I have also worked fairly extensively within the field of domestic abuse.
I am involved in the work of Spiral because I have always worked in an area where I can offer support and assistance to those who want or need to make changes in their lives in order to improve their happiness and well-being. I think it is so important that this is also offered to children and young people who find this difficult to do. I want to support Spiral to continue to do this.
I love music, working on my allotment but most of all I love my dogs!