Committee

interAKtive is run by a committee of volunteers. As well as being responsible for the running of the charity and the organisation of its events, committee members also often spearhead the various fund-raising activities required to secure the monies needed to underwrite projects, events and general running costs.

Committee Members

Shelagh Dixon - Chair

Shelagh has been a member of interAKtive since 1998 and took on the role of Chair in November 2003. Her son (born in December 1993 with his twin sister), is on the autism spectrum. He started his school life at ‘the little group’ and then moved on to Linden Bridge School but, at the age of nine, moved out to mainstream school. He is now in secondary school, and is studying for GCSEs.

Dominique Barakzai - Secretary

Dominique joined the charity in April 2007 and within a year, volunteered to become a committee member. Her son (born in 2001) is on the autism spectrum and also has adhd (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). He attends a specialist school for children with speech, language and communication difficulties.

Julia Watson – Treasurer

Julia, who has two sons and a daughter, has been a member of interAKtive since 2002. Her younger son (born in 1997) is on the autism spectrum and attends Linden Bridge School, having started school life at the little group.

Gina Davies

Gina has two adult children, and is currently the only member of the committee who does not have a child on the autism spectrum. However, as co-founder of ‘the little group’, she has worked with a huge number of children with autism and associated difficulties. Gina has had connections with the charity right from its early days, and chaired it for a period of two years, until 2003.

Alison Dickson

Alison – who has two sons – has been a committee member since 2003, and a member of interAKtive since 2002. Her older son (born in 1998) moved to St Joseph’s in Cranleigh in 2008, having previously attended the Opportunity Base at Foresters School in Wallington, and ‘the little group’. He has an autism spectrum disorder, while his younger brother, who has a receptive language disorder, is in mainstream with support.

Valerie Mason

Val joined interAKtive in 2002, and joined the committee as Secretary late in that year. Her son, who was born in 1998, has a diagnosis of “classic autism” and is a pupil at Linden Bridge School, having attended ‘the little group’. Val also has a daughter.

Sarah Sullivan

Sarah has been a member of interAKtive since 2004 and a committee member since 2005. Her two sons – born in 1998 and 2000 – both have speech and language difficulties and the younger one, who attended ‘the little group’, is currently at Linden Bridge School. Her older boy is in mainstream school.

Cindy Troop

Cindy, who has two sons, has been a member since 2002 and a committee member since 2003. Cindy’s younger son – born in 1998 – is on the autism spectrum, and attended ‘the little group’. He is currently at Freemantles School.

Neal Sullivan - Membership Secretary

Neal is a non-executive member of the committee. As well as being Membership Secretary, he is the charity’s IT guru. He is married to committee member Sarah.