Our Director/Trustees have ultimate responsibility for the Governance of  the organisation.  They all have strong links with the local community and Off The Record’s work.  Director/Trustees are elected by the members of the organisation at the AGM for periods of no more than three years, with one third of the Directors retiring from office in rotation.

Current directors:

John Simmonds (Chair of the Board of Directors)

In addition to Chairing the Board John currently serves on the Finance and General Purposes Committee and was instrumental in setting up the Ethics and Clinical Oversight Committee. Originally from South Wales John first moved to the area in 1971 to study Biology at what was then Portsmouth Polytechnic. He finally settled in Portsmouth in 1982 and his two daughters grew up here both attending local schools and sixth form colleges. John worked for IBM for 27 years and held various management positions including Director of IT Security and Risk Management an international position leading teams in many countries. John took early retirement from IBM in 2005. John has been involved with Off The Record for many years and holds a Diploma in Professional Studies (Counselling).  In addition to his work with OTR John has an interest in reptile and amphibian conservation and has been a volunteer team leader working on the Dorset heathlands.  (Director/Trustee from 1998-99, and again from July 2005)

Robert Morton (Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors)

Robert was co-opted onto the Board in 2007 and currently serves on the Finance and General Purposes Committee.  For 38 years Robert worked in local government as an environmental health practitioner (including areas of Westminster and Haringey) finally working for 18 years with East Hertfordshire District Council as their Chief Environmental Health Officer.. Prior to Local Government he served in the Metropolitan Police. On retirement from local government he was made a life member of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health; he then followed a new career in professional opera and was regularly employed in a number of London Opera Companies.

Robert joined Off the Record as a volunteer in 2002 and in 2003 moved into the counselling role where he still remains. During that time for five years he was chairman of a freehold company (Castle Garden Freehold Ltd). He was a keen athlete, taught judo, and also ran seven marathons for charity. From 1998 to 2009 he was a regular member of a team who travelled into London each month to assist the London Homeless. Robert is a member of Mensa.  (Director/Trustee  from 2007)

Dr Peter F Mills (Chair of the Finance & General Purposes Sub-committee of the Board)
Peter joined the Board of Off The Record in the 1990’s, and was Chair of the Board for 10 years, from the beginning of the Millennium to September 2009.
Peter’s Professional career, which was spent chiefly in Higher Education, included a number of lecturing and managerial posts at the then Portsmouth Polytechnic. Shortly before his retirement, the Polytechnic became the University of Portsmouth, and he was able to leave from the position of Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University. His academic discipline is mathematics; he is a Chartered Mathematician and a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics.
Peter has been a member of the Board of Amnesty International UK, and for a number of years, the Chair of its Finance Committee. In the 1990’s he also chaired the Board of Governors of Portsmouth College. His contribution to Off The Record relates chiefly to its governance and finance – seeking to help the staff and volunteers who are directly involved in the work of supporting young people. (Director/Trustee from October 1997)

Kath Johnson holds an Advanced Diploma in Counselling and has been a volunteer with Off the Record since 2002.  During this time she has been involved with supporting young people in a variety of ways including being a co-facilitator of the Young Mum's Group and Parent's Support Group, working one to one with clients, and since 2005, as a member of the Management Committee.  Outside Off the Record Kath is a Director of a National Training and Education Company which she set up with her husband 16 years ago. They currently employ 95 staff and train 4000 students a year to work within the health and fitness Industry.  Kath has experience in both the therapeutic field and business arena and brings a range of qualities and skills to the Board for the benefit of the young people Off The Record serves. She is energetic, committed and has a passion for working with young people.  (Director/Trustee from July 2006)

Mike Tiller currently serves on the Board of Directors and was first elected in 2006. Mike works as the Executive Manager with Community Empowerment Ltd, a charitable society for the benefit of the community, working with individuals and organisations applying co-operative and mutual solutions for community empowerment needs.  This includes managing a Future Jobs Fund project and developing co-operative organisations through the Co-operative Hub. Mike has a BA in Politics from the University of Portsmouth and an MA in Social Enterprise from the University of East London.  Mike is also a Trustee of the Hampshire Museum and Galleries Trust and has lived in the Portsmouth area all his life.  (Director/Trustee from July 2006)

Jenny Yeates has served on the Board of Directors since being elected in July 2006 and has been a volunteer counsellor with Off The Record for over 5 years. She holds a Diploma in Counselling and works as a part-time school counsellor in Petersfield. Jenny is also involved in fund-raising for a Thai tsunami charity and, more recently, Winston’s Wish which is a local bereavement charity supporting young people and their families. (Director/Trustee from July 2006)

Katy Wilson has been a member of Off The Record since the autumn of 2001 and was elected to the Board in July 2008. For nearly 7 years she held a variety of volunteer roles – as a support worker, a counsellor, a support workers supervisor and member of the management committee.
Katy found that as she moved roles within Off The Record, she also progressed her career in counselling. From early diploma years, to more recently completing a BA (Hons) in counselling and psychotherapy at Southampton University.
Katy now works as a school counsellor in two schools and also has a thriving private practice . “I still feel today that with out joining Off The Record all those years ago as a student placement, a lot of the above would not have happened. I am hugely indebted to the support and friendship I have received from this wonderful organisation.”
Although no longer able to give any more weekly or monthly time to Off The Record, Katy brings to the role of Director a firm commitment to supporting the needs of young people. She also offers an understanding and first hand experience of the volunteering ethos within Off The Record, as well as wider knowledge and experience as a professional practitioner working with young people.  (Director/Trustee from July 2008)

 

Barney Barron has a background in youth and community work, working in a variety of settings from a young offenders institute, to youth clubs and schools.  He has lived and worked in the Leigh Park community for the last nine years.  Barney’s current role is as a Baptist Minister working as associate minister at Leigh Park Baptist Church with responsibility for an alternative expression of 'cafe church' on Warren Park.  He is very involved in the Leigh Park community, serving as a governor at both Park Community  and Prospect Schools and has recently started 'Solace', a listening service for young people at Park Community School.  He also runs a Dad's group through the three children's centres on Leigh Park.

Barney is a strategic thinker and a pioneer of new ideas.  He has recently completed an M.A. in consultancy for mission and ministry and confirms this has helped him to develop his understanding of strategic thinking, and how organisations work. (Director/Trustee from July 2011)

Janet Hanneman first became involved with Off The Record in August 1989 and volunteered for 6 years on the rota.  During this time she also became a supervisor and then moved onto the role of Training Co-ordinator and was involved in starting what is now the BAV (Being A Volunteer) course for new volunteers.  Between 2002 and November 2010 Janet took on a range of additional roles including Chair of the Management Committee and external Supervisor for the clinical supervisors and is still involved as a member of the Ethics Committee.   Janet’s professional career started in 1960 when she qualified as a home economics teacher, initially teaching in Essex and then moving to Portsmouth where until 1992 she taught at City Boys School and was head of department for a number of years.    From 2003-09 Janet also taught counselling skills at various levels in local colleges, and was involved in planning and delivering the counselling diploma course at Southdowns College.  Janet started in private practice in 1989 as a broad spectrum therapeutic counsellor and still provides one to one counselling and private supervision for other private counsellors.  (Director/Trustee from July 2011)

Patrick Hunter is a partner of Mackarness and Lunt Solicitors in Petersfield, and has been with them since January 2004. He spent some years as an archaeologist after taking his Master's degree at Sheffield University, before deciding on a change of career.  He still spends some of his spare time "digging," is a rugby coach and enjoys fishing.   Patrick  has a young family, lives in Havant and has a strong commitment towards young people. (Director/Trustee from September 2011)