Meet The Team

We are a small team here at Children’s Heartbeat Trust but our passion for working with heart families across Northern Ireland is HUGE and we are very proud of the positive impact our work has.

Joanne McCallister

Chief Executive
Joanne McCallister

Joanne has worked in the voluntary sector since 2006 and was appointed Chief Executive of CHT in June 2022. Joanne’s focus is to lead the organisation in its next stage of development ensuring children with CHD and their families are at the heart of the organisation.

Cathy Dalton

Family & Youth Services Manager
Cathy Dalton

Cathy is our Family & Youth Services Manager. You can regularly find her on Clark Clinic or out and about with our families and young people.

Liz Carton

Family Support Officer
Liz Carton

Liz is our Family Support Officer. She will be in regular contact with our amazing heart families offering practical, emotional and financial support.

Katie Mulholland

Engagement Officer (Youth & Family)
Katie Mulholland

Katie is our Engagement Officer focusing on organising events and interaction with young people and families.

Lynn Cowan

Fundraising Manager
Lynn Cowan

Lynn looks after all things fundraising! She is responsible for raising vital funds for the charity and supporting our amazing volunteer fundraisers and corporate partners.

Alison Crawford

Office Manager
Alison Crawford

Alison looks after our office and co-ordinates our respite caravans. If you give the CHT offices a call it’s usually Alison you end up talking to.

Joan Aiken

Research & Policy Manager
Joan Aiken

Joan has been appointed as our Research & Policy Manager, in particular for the Congenital Heart Disease Intervention Programme (CHIP) III. Her research will focus on emerging adults and will form part of an internationally recognised longitudinal study into congenital heart disease and neurodevelopment. The aim of Joan’s research is to inform interventions to optimise neuropsychological outcomes, and hence quality of life, for individuals with CHD.

Victoria Jackson

Fundraising Administrator
Victoria Jackson

Victoria has been working in the charity sector for 10 years. She joined Children’s Heartbeat Trust in September 2022 and is your go to for all your fundraising needs!

Board of Directors

We have a committed Board of Directors who are responsible in law for the overall governance of the charity. Together they bring a wealth of experience and knowledge from different backgrounds including clinical, family experience of CHD and professional expertise. All our Directors are volunteers – giving up their time and expertise for free. 

As key members of the CHT Team, the Board work behind the scenes to achieve our mission, set strategic direction and ensure we are financially sound and compliant with relevant legislation.

Prof. Nichola Rooney

Chair
Prof. Nichola Rooney

Hazel Bradbury

Treasurer
Hazel Bradbury

Jane Boyd

Director
Jane Boyd

Dr Brian Craig

Director
Dr Brian Craig

Grainne Curran

Director
Grainne Curran

Diane McDowell

Director
Diane McDowell

Paula Murray

Director
Paula Murray

Mark Sidebottom

Director
Mark Sidebottom

Will Young

Director
Will Young

Niall Parfitt

Director
Niall Parfitt