Meet the Trustees

Chair

Colum has been a Trustee at the Lewisham Irish Centre since 2018. He is the Chair of Trustes. Originally from Ireland, Colum moved to London in 2017 where he works in higher education in central London. He has previously served on a number of trustee boards and the Council of a UK University.

Secretary

Conor has been Trustee at the Centre since 2021. He has spent most of his career in the voluntary sector, including his current role as head of research and policy for a mental health charity. Originally from Connemara in Co. Galway, Conor moved to London in 2011, and has lived in Catford since 2015.

Treasurer

Appointed as Trustee in June 2021. As a salute to my native West of Ireland, I’m also known professionally as Áine Ní Ruairc. I’m a fairly recently retired headteacher of a Lewisham Special School, living locally. I came to London in 1987 and have worked in Lewisham for over twenty years. I’ve previously served as trustee on another education trust board and on school governing bodies.

James has previously worked at a national charity and currently works as a Director for a US university based in London.

Pauline has been involved with the centre for many years and currently sits on the trustee board. 

Dominic has had a long career working in the charitable sector as a youth worker, social worker, chief executive and trustee. Retired in December 2019, he now devotes himself to supporting Charlton Athletic and Surrey Cricket, writing and researching his Irish heritage.

Karen has been involved with the Lewisham Irish Centre for a number of years and has been a Trustee since 2005. Karen is the Treasurer of the Management Committee.

Karen feels a strong connection to Ireland with her mother growing up there before moving to the UK. As a qualified, registered childminder Karen set up the mother and toddler group with Carol Faithfull 8 years ago. In March 2007, the group won Lewisham’s Childminder of the Year Award. The group organises arts and crafts based on Irish tales and sagas for the Lewisham Irish Festival. Over the past few years, Karen has helped arrange the popular children’s Halloween and Christmas parties and helped out with events throughout the year.

Dervla works in marketing in the creative sector for a not-for-profit organisation. Born in the UK to Irish parents, Dervla has been living in Lewisham for the last decade and joined the centre as a Trustee in early 2023.

Michael has joined the board of trustees in 2021. Growing up in Ireland, he moved to Lewisham two years ago after studying Computer Science at the University of Essex. While at university, he got involved with the local community and is keen to get involved in the community in Lewisham. He is currently a technical consultant in the City and has previously worked in an MP’s office in Westminster.

Ruairí works in education policy and previously worked at the national membership network Irish in Britain. He was born in Dublin, raised in Nottinghamshire, studied in Belfast, and now lives in the borough of Lewisham. He joined the trustee board in late 2022.