The Collaborative was incorporated as a Charitable Trust on the 27th October 2004. The original trustees were Gillian Abel, Susan Bagshaw, Peter Harman, Lisa Fitzgerald, Alison Locke, Sarah Lee Te Huki, Maria Pasene, Lynda Jeffs, Ria Schroder, Marijke Freeman-Moir, and Tammy Rouse. Fiona McAlevey was appointed, after Sarah, Marijke, Maria and Tammy moved on in 2005. At the beginning of 2007 Fiona from the Mental Health Foundation resigned after making a wonderful contribution. Lynda Jeffs was on the original board, and resigned in order to take on the role of development manager. In 2006 she moved from this position to continue the management of the FRIENDS evaluation project full time. His Honour Judge A J Becroft, Principal Youth Court Judge, agreed to be Patron to the Collaborative in 2005. In 2007 Peter Harman resigned as the Board legal advisor and Janine Ballinger who works as a lawyer at Duncan Cottrill and community parent educator Helen Mann joined the board together with researcher Mark Turner adn Youth Tutor Toni-anne O'Connor. In 2008 Lisa Fitzgerald moved on to further her career as a Lecturer at Brisbane University. Also this year we welcome Cate Kearney from the Alcohol and Drug Association and Bronwyn Dunnachie from the Werry Centre.
Principal Youth Court Judge of New Zealand His Honour Judge A J Becroft Born in Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia, and educated at Rongotai College, Wellington, Judge Becroft graduated from Auckland University in 1981 with a BA. LLB (Hons) degree. He practised in Auckland with the firm Fortune Manning & Partners. In 1986 he assisted with the establishmentof the Mangere Community Law Centre and worked there until 1993. He then worked as a criminal barrister in South Auckland until his appointment to the District Court bench, sitting in Wanganui, in 1996. He was appointed Principal Youth Court Judge in June 2001. Judge Becroft was a council member of the Auckland District Law Society and the New Zealand Law Society. Judge Becroft is a current editor of Butterworths Transport Law and is the Patron of the Collaborative.
Dr Sue Bagshaw (BSc (Hons) MB BS FAChSHM Hon FRNZCGP CNZM) is a primary care adolescent and sexual health doctor at 198 Youth Health and is the Current Chairperson of the Collaborative Board of Trustees. She is also a senior lecturer in Adolescent Health at the University Of Otago Christchurch School Of Medicine. Sue has been involved with research and training in adolescent and sexual health over the last 20 years.
Gillian Abel (MPH) is a research fellow with the Department of Public Health and General Practice, Christchurch School of Medicine, University of Otago. She is a Deputy Chairperson on the Board and also contributes to the ongoing research of the Collaborative. Click here for more about Gillian or here for more about Gillian's current research projects.
Lisa Fitzgerald (PhD) is also a lecturer at the Department of Public Health and General Practice, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago. She has worked in the Department over the last 5 years and has been involved in a longitudinal qualitative research project where her skills in qualitative methodologies were invaluable. She has been one of the lead investigators on many research projects and is an active trustee member for the Collaborative. She now acts in an advisory capacity only from her new position with Brisbane Univeristy.
Dr Ria Schroder (PhD) completed her PhD at the University of Canterbury in 2004 and is an active member ofthe team at the National Addiction Centre as a research fellow. Ria is skilled in both qualitative and quantitative methodology.
Alison Locke is a Ministry of Education Student Support Development Officer and former Avonside Girls High School counsellor and Pasifika Dean. Allison has a strong background in health education and provision of health services in schools. Alison contributes to the education and research projects of the Collaborative as her experience and expertise is required. She is a current member of the board of trustees.
Mark Turner (PhD) works as a researcher in the area of first episode psychosis for the Canterbury District Health Board. Mark’s background is in quantitative outcome evaluation and recent work has included evaluation of Family Help Trust, which operates child abuse-prevention services for high-risk families in Christchurch.
Helen Mann manages GAIN Canterbury, a not-for-profit organization, that supports parents and teenagers to build strong relationships. She has been self-employed and working with parents in community education programmes throughout Christchurch for twelve years. She has a background in adult teaching and group facilitation and offers a variety of training services to professionals who work with youth and children. Helen contributes to the parent and family education projects of the Collaborartive. She is a current member of the Board of Trustees.
Janine Ballinger (LLB, BCom) is a senior solicitor at the law firm Duncan Cotterill. She specialises in all areas of commercial and property law as well as asset protection and trusts. She caries out legal work for a wide range of individual, commercial and corporate clients and is a trusted advisor to her clients in those practice areas.
Toni-Anne O'Connor. Officially still a young person has been part of Youth Tutors for a year, helping to teach health professionals about youth devlopment and communication with young people. She is presently studying to be a midwife
