Thoughts & Quotes

life is like a series of photographs you develop from the negatives.
When you need to fly from your home, it's not a home. Home should be where the birds feelings are free not caged.
nobody likes the rain but if you want the rainbow you gotta put up with the rain.
♫ And the stars are always there but we miss them in the dirt and in the clouds we miss them in the storms. ♫
To the believer anything is possible, to the sceptic everything is impossible.
"the reason angels can fly is becuase they take themselves lightly"
Stay strong- Keep smiling =] and NEVER give up- there is always hope <3
'It is not the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves' (William Shakespeare)
Stick to the fight when your hardest hit, its when things seem worse that you must not quit
it's about learning to dance in the rain
sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same
we never notice the beauty around us because we are too busy trying to create it.
People say that it is holding on that makes you stronger, but sometimes it is letting go and putting yourself first.
No-one can do a better job of being you, than YOU.
Be strong now because things will get better; it may be stormy now but it can't rain forever.
This too shall pass
We have to learn to dance in the rain
Even on the darkest days sometimes we glimpse sunlight
Sometimes we need to tell our story 100 times
Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark

Trustees

Adrian Gains (Chair of Trustees)Adrian became the Chair of the board in March 2010, after seeing Emma present at a 'Dragons Den' Style philanthropy event hosted by the organisation he was working for at the time. Adrian has over twenty years’ of public sector experience, and has led several transformational programmes across government. He believes that the third sector can, and should play a more active role in service delivery, and actively supports many social enterprises. As well as being chair of COAP, Adrian also chairs the Board of Trustees at Vision Housing (an ex-offender led organisation) and is an associate of Crime Reduction Initiatives (CRI). He is acutely aware of the problems that addiction can cause to families and communities, and is committed to helping society address them.Lucy Twomey-FriedlanderLucy has over seven years of experience working within the public sector for the NHS as a nurse, which has given her a wealth of health related knowledge and experience. Her professional past has allowed her to recognise the importance of collaboration, and integration, between different organisations and services that is often needed with an illness, including addiction. Aside from working for the NHS, Lucy has also worked in the voluntary sector, as a health advisory nurse for the British Heart Foundation. Lucy's involvement with COAP stems from her own personal experience; of living with a family member’s addiction. She is acutely aware of how isolating addiction can be, and understands how it can engulf a family. She believes that having somewhere to go for advice, and support, is crucial when it comes to helping those affected by addiction.Jerry PaiJerry has a strong 'financial analysis and operational strategy' background, with broad experience in creating, developing, and implementing, new business propositions in the financial / professional services industries. He firmly believes in ‘giving back to society’ and has, over the last 10 years, taken an active role in working with, sharing experiences with, and guiding the youth to overcome their life challenges. Jerry has also worked as a volunteer with an AIDS orphanage in South Africa.Wes CuellWes is a qualified social worker, with over 40 years of experience as a practitioner and manager. Wes has worked mainly in local authorities, where he was Head of Children’s Services in Luton from 1997 to 2004, but also in the voluntary sector, where he was UK Director of Services for the NSPCC from 2004 to 2011, a role that included responsibility for Childline and the NSPCC Child Protection Helpline. Wes was a Board Member of CEOP and of the UK Council for Internet Safety until as recently as 2011. He is now a Trustee of the Children’s Society, and of the Ormiston Children and Family Trust, and works part time as an independent chairperson for BAAF, and Hertfordshire County Council, on Adoption, and Fostering Panels.Nikki WilsonNikki is currently Country Manager for Wings For Life, having previously worked at Cancer Research UK for five years. As well as bringing fund-raising expertise to the board, Nikki also has first-hand experience of founding and scaling a small scale NGO, called READ International. Passionate about the issues surrounding mental health and child welfare, she has done extensive volunteer work in this field, working as a Mentor for disadvantaged kids in Hackney, and as a Drug Support Worker at a Crisis Rehabilitation Centre. These experiences have taught her first hand about the isolation facing vulnerable young people, and the need for accessible support.

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