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Our Trustees

Elaine McDonald – Chair

Elaine brings 22 years’ experience to MSDP’s Board ranging from clinical audit and governance through to operational and operational management.  Holding a variety of posts in London hospital trusts and London Ambulance Service, Elaine has worked at regional level with the NHS Regulator as well as senior leadership roles in large acute hospitals, heading up hospital divisions for supra-regional specialist services. 

Five years ago Elaine relocated from London to the Wirral with her young family to enjoy a quieter pace of life. Her current interests include being a School Governor as well as undertaking voluntary and casual work in local primary and secondary schools.   

Andy Goodwin – Treasurer

Andy has worked in the Financial Services’ sector for more than 30 years and is a fully qualified Financial Adviser. He has vast experience in motivating staff and encouraging achievement of targets, both in a personal capacity and on a corporate level. Andy is Hard of Hearing.

Barry Avison – Deaf Community Lead

Barry qualified from AAT 25 years ago and brings a wealth of disability arts and culture experience to the Board. A well-known member of the Deaf Community, Barry is part of the ground-breaking and innovative DaDaFest (Disability and Deaf Art) team, which he has nurtured from a small community arts organisation to a leading international festival production.  His voluntary roles have included Treasurer of the British Deaf Association, Chair of the Sign Dance Theatre Trust and Chair of Newcastle Deaf Club. Presently Barry is involved with the Wirral Deaf Community, Conwy Coast Deaf Golf Society, MerseySign Deaf Theatre and RiverSign Sign Choir. Barry moved to Merseyside (via London) from Newcastle 25 years ago after working with the NHS and a Sign Dance Theatre company..

Jenn Jones-Gray

Jenn brings more than 18 years’ of Human Resources and organisational development experience to MSDP’s Board.  Currently Jenn works for an online retailer with responsibility for overall delivery of the colleague experience, HMRC and other regulatory compliance requirements, people policies and payroll for 3,500 colleagues!

Jenn describes herself as ‘Super passionate about delivering great and easily accessible services for colleagues and ensuring staff interactions are positive.’  She is also considers herself a champion of the digital agenda and how self-service options can improve interactions and experiences for colleagues. 

Outside of work, Liverpudlian Jenn dedicates her time to her family, being Mum to her son Nathaniel and a proud daughter of her Dad Alan who is profoundly deaf. As a child of a deaf adult (CODA) Jenn has direct experience of the barriers people with hearing loss face and is excited to be supporting the work of MSDP.

David Reader, Safeguarding Lead

David has been involved with MSDP for many years, having volunteered within a youth project back in 2009. Today, David is Vice-Chair of Liverpool’s Hard of Hearing Club, a group that meets weekly in our Queen’s Drive building, providing warm and welcoming support to people with hearing loss. As a profoundly deaf person, David brings lived experience to the Board helping to shape the charity’s strategic agenda to develop new services.

Significant experience from his professional roles across health and safety, IT and electrical engineering align with ongoing development of MSDP’s internal IT infrastructure and facilities management.  Within his Board role, David also leads on Safeguarding and is currently undertaking his BSL Level 3 qualification.