Derith is a bilingual practitioner and has worked within the field of community development in Wales for almost four decades. She recently established Hadu Newid Associates (an asset- based community development consultancy). Other personal and professional interests include providing direct support to local groups and strategic oversight to local and national organizations.

Prior to this she worked as CEO of Community Development Cymru, and Director of Amman Valley Enterprise. Over the years she has served on numerous communities in Wales and across the UK.

She is currently a Trustee of Building Communities Trust (BCT) established in 2015 to work in 13 communities across Wales to build strengths and make their areas better places to live. She is also a Director of Community Building & Social Action, a not for profit social enterprise that works to overcome disadvantage and assist people to remove obstacles to work.

She is a community activist and volunteers within her own community in Cwmamman in the Amman Valley.  Her contribution to tackling poverty and social exclusion was recognised in 2003 when she was awarded an MBE.

wHO WE WORK WITH

In our experience, there is a demand from:

THOSE WISHING TO ADOPT A MORE COMMUNITY-DRIVEN PLACE-BASED PRACTICE WAY OF WORKING

THOSE FACING THE CHALLENGES OF TOP-DOWN THINKING AND HIERARCHICAL PRACTICE

We work at the individual level with:

VOLUNTEERS, COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS

• SENIOR MANAGERS, LEADERS

• INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO TAKE BACK CONTROL, EITHER IN A PROFESSIONAL OF PERSONAL CAPACITY

We work at local and strategic levels with:

VOLUNTEERS, COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS, COMMUNITY GROUPS, LOCAL LEADERS, FRONT-LINE OFFICERS, PRACTITIONERS AND PROFESSIONALS

• PUBLIC SECTOR, AND THIRD SECTOR ORGANISATIONS, BUSINESSES, CHARITIES, FUND-HOLDERS, GOVERNMENT, LOCAL AUTHORITIES, HEALTH BOARDS AND NHS TRUSTS, NATIONAL COUNCILS, AND OTHER BODIES.