Emily McFadden
Emily McFadden joined the SurvivorsUK board in 2017.
Emily is an abuse solicitor at Bolt Burdon Kemp. She brings civil claims for compensation for victims of abuse against organisations and individuals.
She joined because she saw her clients finding it difficult to access support, help, and counselling, and felt that getting involved in SurvivorsUK would be a way to help men who have experienced abuse. She believes that survivors of abuse need holistic services to help them to come to terms with what happened to them, and to obtain the justice they deserve.
Emily is chair of the Operations and People Sub Committee of the Board of Trustees, and is a member of the Client Services Sub Committee.
Brock Chisholm
Dr Brock Chisholm is a Clinical Psychologist who specializes in the psychological impact of traumatic events such as sexual & physical assaults, accidents, bereavements, domestic violence, and traumatic childhoods, as well as adjustments to life events. He has significant experience in working with victims of organised violence such as torture, trafficking, and slavery. He is the Director of Criterion A Psychology Services, an approved expert in the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative hosted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and for the National Crime Agency. He is also a lecturer at the Royal Hospital for Tropical Medicine; and has been a trainer for the Metropolitan Police in The Sexual Offences, Child Abuse and Exploitation Command. Brock was previously employed at specialist NHS services for people with a diagnosis of PTSD, including The Traumatic Stress Clinic and The Forced Migration Trauma Service in London.
He joined the Board of Trustees of Survivors UK in early 2017 to share his clinical expertise and is committed to assisting those affected by sexual abuse, including those that help. He recognizes that for staff to provide an excellent service to survivors the organization itself must be well managed and supported. He hopes that his involvement on the Board will assist with this.
Sara Brennan
Sara Brennan joined a large apparel and fashion company in January 2019 as Head of Corporate Responsibility, where she leads the ethical trade, corporate responsibility, and sustainability programs and strategy. She is also currently studying for a PhD in organisational change.
Sara joined the board of SurvivorsUK in 2018, having studied gender at university and being interested in voice and empowerment. She sees SurvivorsUK as an important charity as it is has a sole focus on male survivors of rape and sexual abuse, and their friends and families. On a personal level, she has friends who are male survivors and so, by playing a small part in helping the charity, she wants to help them and others to get the support and help they need from the organisation’s highly skilled and passionate staff.
Tanaka Mhishi
Tanaka Mhishi has been working with survivor organisations for a number of years, and was excited by the opportunity to join the board of SurvivorsUK after being impressed by the warmth and dedication that they had encountered from SurvivorsUK staff over the years.
“There’s a huge amount of passion and expertise at SurvivorsUK and I’m hoping that I can be a helpful eye in shaping and supporting it,” explains Tanaka, who is a writer and storyteller by trade. “The core of my work is a belief that well-told stories really can change the way we interact.”
Tanaka has made a lot of work focussing on the male survivor experience – including a stage play about his own experience in 2015. “Since then, I’ve worked with charities who support survivors in speaking to the media, as well as collaborating with major news organisations to help them understand the needs of male survivors and how to better represent us,” Tanaka added.
In his own time, Tanaka likes to bake “far too much” and play Dungeons and Dragons – “I’m utterly abysmal, but it’s still fun”. They are most looking forward to digging into the important conversations being had at SurvivorsUK.
Sami Qasem
Sami Qasem manages a global content team for a technology company, and has spent the majority of his recent career at the intersection of tech, storytelling, and liberal arts. Sami hopes to bring his skills to support and expand the “great work already being done”.
Sami were inspired to join SurvivorsUK because of the core values and three pillars that underpin all of SurvivorsUK’s activities.
“I’m continually astounded by the statistics that surround male rape, attitudes toward this issue and general preconceptions, particularly in the media,” they explained. “When looking to educate myself and at what I could do to challenge some of these perspectives, I came across the amazing work of SurvivorsUK.”
David Raeburn
For the better part of fifteen years, David Raeburn has worked in senior leadership roles in numerous charities focusing on strategy, impact, governance, and programme delivery. He is passionate about access to justice, and supporting people with life-limiting conditions
“In my work and volunteering I have always been drawn to organisations that support people to understand their rights, navigate the systems in which they find themselves and access the support that they need,” David explained, adding that they know the importance of proper support can have on a person’s life.
David is most excited to get to know the SurvivorsUK team, and work to “increase the support and impact we can have for men that have experienced sexual violence”.
Thom Crabbe
Thom Crabbe’s background is in management roles in the public and voluntary sectors. Thom previously worked as a trustee for an organisation which supported twins and their families, and currently, he works for the RSPB using communications to maximise impact and influence. “I am particularly interested in public policy, communications and advocacy, and change management,” Thom explained.
“I look forward to working with the very talented staff and trustee team to help move Survivors into its next phase ensuring it is the best it can be for all its users and raising awareness of the issues we are tackling,” Thom added.
