Meet the team

Aside from the many people working in HARG member schemes across the county, HARG itself has a central staff team, consisting of management and administration staff and also advocacy workers from advocacy projects 'in - development'.

Meet the team:

Chris Lee – Chief Officer and Company Secretary

Chris has been involved in advocacy for 6 years. Prior to taking the post as Chief Officer at HARG he was Team Manager for an innovative community-based advocacy / outreach project in a disadvantaged part of Southampton. Chris is also a trustee for Advocacy Resource Exchange (ARX) – a national advocacy charity providing resources and information to the wider advocacy world.

Diana Farmer – Administration Assistant

Diana has worked at HARG for over two years, and prior to joining the team worked for many years as a social worker and in other roles in local government.

Angela Woodward – Finance Officer

One of the longest serving team members, Angela has worked in a number of different roles within Hampshire-based advocacy organisations for 15 years and has been involved with HARG from the very beginning.

Andrea Dixon – Administration Assistant – HARG projects

Andrea joined our team in 2008, working on HARG projects in development. Currently she supports the development of HARG Training and also carries out a support role for Advocacy Resource Exchange.

Siven Rungien – Manager, Your Voice Advocacy (YVA) older person's project

Siven has been manager of Your Voice Advocacy project - a successful and very well regarded older person's advocacy project based in Southampton – for over 3 years. He is currently working towards YVA becoming a separate, stand-alone charity in its own right (as part of HARG's 'promote and float' remit, supporting new projects).

Maureen Robinson – Advocate, YVA

Since 2008 Maureen has been an advocate at YVA and has a long standing interest in the Psychology of Ageing. Recently she has devoted her attention to governance and strategy within the NHS locally, in particular mental health provision. She has completed her IMCA qualification and trained in DOLS as well as IMHA and is completing the remaining core elements of the National Advocacy Qualification.

Elizabeth Longland – Person Centred Planning Facilitator

Elizabeth has been employed at HARG since September 2009 as a Person Centred Planning Facilitator and is currently working at a local Day Service, facilitating Person Centred Reviews as part of an ongoing Transformation Programme. Before joining HARG, Elizabeth spent 30 years in teaching.

Lisa George – Person Centred Planning Facilitator

Lisa has been working for HARG since September 2010 as a Person Centred Planner, covering the areas of Eastleigh and Romsey. Prior to this, Lisa worked as a volunteer advocate for another Hampshire advocacy scheme, working mainly with clients with learning disabilities. Before joining HARG, Lisa worked as a primary school teacher.

Sarah Byrne

In 2006 Sarah became a volunteer advocate with British Sign Language skills to support deaf people with learning disabilities. She joined Your Voice Advocacy in 2007 as an advocate for older people and those with dementia. In June 2009, she became a mental health advocate and also became an Independent Mental Health Advocate. In 2009 she completed training for Deprivation of Liberty Safeguarding. Her current role includes being an Advocate for deaf people in Hampshire, IMCA, IMHA and DoLS.