VOICES Trustees
Our Trustees are a group of diverse people who work voluntarily to make sure VOICES is run effectively and that our charity does all it can to place the needs, wishes and insights of people with lived experience of domestic abuse at the heart of all we do. Read more about them in their own words below.
VOICES Trustees
Our Trustees are a group of diverse people who work voluntarily to make sure VOICES is run effectively and that our charity does all it can to place the needs, wishes and insights of people with lived experience of domestic abuse at the heart of all we do. Read more about them in their own words below.
Karan Paige, Chair
Karan Paige has over twenty years experience as a senior Change Executive working with executive and leadership teams. Her expertise lies with organisations facing challenging agendas requiring bold change.
Farha Rasul
“I am a co-founder of VOICES and before this, of the community group SEEDS Bath. I have been a VOICES Trustee since 2016. I am an adult education specialist and trainer and currently lead the Department of English and Maths at Bath College. I have an interest in training services to improve the gap in services that support women who experience DAV as well as in research to impact and influence policy. Originally from Wales, I have been a Bath resident since 2010.”
Helen Wehner
“I am Helen and have been a trustee of VOICES since 2016. I am now retired but spent most of my career as a GP in Bristol. I first developed a professional interest in domestic abuse when my practice became an intervention practice for the IRIS (Identification and Referral to Improve Safety) study in 2007 and for the first time we were given skills to identify and discuss domestic abuse with our patients and a referral system for those at highest risk. Domestic abuse is now much more widely recognised and talked about but services to support those who are being, and have been, abused or controlled remain underfunded and often inadequate. This is why I am delighted to support VOICES, who not only support local women on their difficult journeys out of abuse but are also increasingly being able to use the voice of lived experience to help develop policy and services in the wider area. In my spare time I sing, walk, take photographs and volunteer with medical-related charities in the UK and abroad.”
Benazir Jatoi
I have extensive experience as an international development consultant on legislative, policy and governance issues, with the United Nations on Gender Based Violence and women and girl’s rights. I have experience of ‘States obligations’ under human rights conventions and have been part of many international bids for funding for GBV programmes. I am a lawyer by training and on the Roll of Solicitors for England and Wales. I also have the right of audience in courts in Pakistan. I am an activist, and write and speak on human rights and intersectional feminist related issues, in Pakistan and now in Bath. I feel honoured to be on the Board of Voices, which I consider one of the most forward looking and dynamic grassroots organisations for persons who suffer domestic abuse in the Southwest. Currently, I work as a researcher on a project at Bath Spa University. In my spare time, I love to write and spend time with my family.
Peter Brandt
“My name is Peter and I was born and grew up in Bristol and now live in Somerset. Through my professional life I have worked to prevent the commission of offences. I support the work of VOICES as I believe we all have a duty not only to support people who have been abused by others, but also to align ourselves with them to jointly stand against all forms of abuse and harm. Though anyone can be the subject of domestic abuse, it is overwhelmingly evident that it is in part due to the way women and girls are treated by men and boys. As a man, I hope I can take what I learn from VOICES and be an active participant in the stand against misogyny, and that I can contribute to the development of a safe place for us all to live. I believe that the work of VOICES is vital to further the understanding of both how deep rooted and prolonged abuse can be; and how lonely and isolating that experience can be. Through the work that VOICES does, based on lived experience, we can educate ourselves and others to the complexity of abuse and provide both a hand and voice to those who need it.”
Joanna Hole
“My name is Joanna, and I joined VOICES as a Trustee in January 2022. I grew up in a nomadic military household, but my own family have been based in Bath since my now grown up (or so they say) children started school and my roving public service career took off. After taking early retirement from Whitehall, I had the privilege of becoming a Non-Executive Director at the RUH and eventually their Vice Chair. When NHS Governance rules timed me out, I resolved to continue to use my skills & experience supporting something that really matters, both to me and in my local community. In my almost 10 years assuring Adult and Children’s Safeguarding and Patient and Carer experience at the hospital, I was acutely aware of the reality of Domestic Abuse blighting so many lives in Bath. I want to use what I have learnt, together with my background in HR and influencing change, plus my own early years’ ‘overcomer’ experience, to support the amazing team at VOICES. Nurturing their individual needs as human beings as well as their development as specialists is key to the continued quality of the vital support they provide to those who are living with or beyond an abusive relationship.”
Francesca Carpenter
I am a registered Social Worker working and living in Bath. I am Safeguarding Trustee for Voices and joined the Board in 2023. I have a master’s degree in Gender Studies and previously worked across the women’s charity sector in Sussex, taking a focus on supporting women and families impacted by substance use. I see community and connection so key in overcoming difficulty and advancing rights, a huge reason I wanted to join the Voices mission. I also have a professional interest in trauma-responsive approaches to support and care, an ethos which is the foundation of Voices. I believe we need greater and improved support for women and girls affected by male violence in BANES and nationally. Outside of work, my time is largely spent running around after a wonderfully energetic toddler.
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In this section
This service has saved my mental health and has provided a safe service whilst helping with coping mechanisms for the future.
- Lena
Latest news
Domestic Abuse Advisory Group launches new ‘Guide to Family Court Proceedings’
Backed by victims and judiciary, to de-mystify family court process for all, VOICES are very proud to be part of the Local Family Justice Board’s (LFJB) Domestic Abuse Advisory group, formed of experts from all professions involved in the family court.
