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Meet Christine Durnion

Manager – Christine Durnion 2006

In May 2004 I became a manager for BlindVoice UK. We had a small office and what would be the base for our Communication Centre. At that time I had 5 real objectives in mind; to involve the Trustees in decision making processes that would strengthen our management team, improve and develop quality services, identify gaps in service delivery, strengthen partnerships and make new ones and lastly but most importantly reach new visually impaired or blind people and provide them with solutions to their problems through our services.The last three years has been an incredibly successful journey for all concerned in which all of these objectives have been achieved. Funded mainly by Big Lottery and other grant making trusts we now have a suite of offices in Yarm Road.At BlindVoice UK, we understand that sight loss not only results in loss of confidence, loneliness and isolation, but it can also devastate lives.

We provide information, practical advice, learning opportunities, confidence building, emotional support and social activities and this list of services continues to grow as we identify new and better ways to support the local visually impaired community.

Our aim is to help people overcome the disability of blindness and encourage them to live their lives to the full. Further funding is vital for us to be able to continue the services and support we offer as well as develop the future projects we are so passionate about, and so determined to achieve. We are an organisation that develops individuals and challenge ourselves and others in order to continuously improve.

BlindVoice UK needs to focus on bringing about positive lasting change for blind and partially sighted people. It needs to lead this change by having a strong membership and a deep knowledge and understanding of the diverse life experiences of blind and partially sighted people, the products and services they require and the ways in which barriers to inclusion can be removed.
BlindVoice UK needs to continue to provide high quality services which specifically meet the needs of blind and partially sighted people, but with an emphasis on developing new forms of service and delivering services in ways which spread learning and good practice. It needs to use its charitable resources to carry forward these aims, to structure itself in a way which enables their delivery and to create a culture which supports them.

The development of an exemplary service, building on expertise, will build an effective organisation.

Christine Durnion
Manager

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The appointment of our first Manager was a major development for BlindVoice UK. But would be able to find the right Manager? Would we be able to find someone with all of the essential managerial and developmental skills as well as a good understanding of the problems faced by blind and visually impaired people? It seemed to be a daunting prospect and we envisaged a fairly long learning curve as our new Manager came to terms with the demands of the job. Surely we would not be fortunate enough to find the perfect applicant!

Well we did! Christine Durnion decided to give up the security of employment with Stockton Council and accept a three-year contract with the challenge of securing a permanent future for BlindVoice UK. Our job advertisement attracted some superb applicants but Christine emerged as the clear winner and was offered, and accepted, the job of Communications Manager for BlindVoice.

Why is Christine just right for us? She became Manager of the new innovative Open Technology Centre based in Stockton Central Library in 1998 and not content with running and developing a new and fast-moving service Christine recognised that the ICT facilities in the Centre had the potential to open up a whole new world for the local blind and visually impaired community. Through outreach she developed a strong effective partnership with Blindvoice that has gone from strength to strength in what it has been able to achieve improving the quality of life and equal opportunities for blind and visually impaired people in the borough.

This included the development of the “Ann Kallagher Suite of Technology” for the blind within the OTC; the provision of a successful Brailling service; the development of a partnership with Adult Education to provide expert computer tuition for the blind; and the successful planning of several high profile “Showcase” events for the benefit of the blind. This impressive list contributed to Stockton Borough Libraries receiving the Beacon Council Award in 2003 for “Libraries as a Community Resource”.

Christine has described our partnership as one of the most rewarding challenges of her career and her work was recognised when her colleagues nominated her for the Public Servant of the Year Award 2003 where she became a finalist at a reception in London.

Christine has an impressive list of managerial qualifications. She has excellent ICT skills and has an in depth knowledge of Community Learning and Skills for Life through her studies at the University of Teesside. She has recently obtained City & Guilds 7407 Certificate in Further Education Teaching.

The fact that a Manager of Christine’s calibre was prepared to give up her career with the Local Authority to work for the development of BlindVoice has given a tremendous boost to our confidence. She obviously has great faith in what we are trying to do and with her drive and ambition it is difficult to see how we can fail.

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