Derith has an established track record of over 30 years experience of community development work and community development learning and training within the Third Sector in a range of settings and at all levels.

She has a combination of operational, managerial and strategic experience. Over the last 30 years she has witnessed first hand the transformative effects of community development interventions within individuals, groups and organizations alike, and believes vehemently that community development is key if initiatives are to be sustainable in the long term.

She has successfully developed, established and managed numerous initiatives and was instrumental in establishing Community Development Cymru in 2002.

She has a track record of working in partnership with a range of organisations at a local and national level. 

In 2008 she became a member of the TSPC (Third Sector Partnership Council) where she represents the community development field in Wales at Ministerial levels across Government Departments thus ensuring a strong link and advocating on the importance between operational practice and policy development.

Derith became Chief Executive of CDC in 2008.

Nia Jones has over twenty year’s experience of working within the public and third sector. She has a particular talent for building close working relationships with communities of high deprivation and working on sensitive issues within these areas, using this first-hand knowledge to inform her strategic work.  Nia is currently part-time working on our Big Lottery funded project in Rhyl, and also the Workforce Development contract with Welsh Government.

Nia Jones is an experienced Community Development Worker, Mentor and Trainer, with a background in both the public and third sectors.

Sarah James, Research & Funding Officer

Sarah has worked in the field of international and community development for 18 years. Initially her work focused on project management, research, training and evaluation in overseas development, with working experience in a variety of countries and relevant training in the UK.  Her work in Wales has focused on research around timebanking and evaluation and research in relation to a variety of community based projects in South Wales.  She joined CDC in 2009, as a Funding Officer, and also undertakes a range of research based activities.

Liz Court, Development Officer

Liz Court initially trained as a teacher, working for ten years in the state education sector. In 1987 Liz moved into the community development sector working as an education officer for a community technical aid centre based in Newport, South Wales providing a grant-aided and consultancy service for schools and communities wishing to improve their local environments.

In 1997 Liz became the Community Development & Training Team Leader for Cardiff Bay Development Corporation. This involved managing a multi-professional, multi-cultural team working in two of the most socially disadvantaged wards in Wales with a focus on widening public engagement in the regeneration of the South Cardiff area. 

In 2001 after training as a TESOL teacher, Liz worked part-time for the Parade Community Education Language School teaching English to students from a wide range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds including asylum seekers and refugees.

Liz also worked as part-time Research Associate for Cardiff University in the Department of City & Regional Planning Department on a three-year European funded project entitled SINGOCOM (Social innovation, governance & community building). 

Between 2003 and 2011 Liz became the Head of Operations, Wales for the UK based Community Development Foundation with a role to support and promote community development policy and practice across Wales. When this role ended in 2011 Liz set up as an independent community development consultant undertaking work for the Welsh Tenants Federation, Cardiff Gypsy Traveller Project, the Big Lottery Funded Project Switched On Project. Liz is also a trainer for One Voice Wales and Cardiff University and currently works part-time for Community Development Cymru helping to deliver the Welsh Government Working with Communities Contract.

Nia Williams, Project Worker

Nia joined CDC in November 2012, and works in the community of Splott, Cardiff with older people in the area. As a project worker for the exciting Turning Round The Telescope Project, her remit is to carry out action research based around issues of health and wellbeing that older residents in the community have, and to look at ways in which older residents can tackle these issues, and help to shape both service delivery locally, and subsequent take up. 

Nia has worked in the field of Community Development since 2007 in various roles such as a Timebank coordinator. Nia was  based in  some of the most disadvantaged communities across the Cynon Valley in this role, and encouraged local groups and individuals to volunteer in community life. She has also worked as a Parent Involvement Officer, encouraging parents in Newport to become involved in helping to shape policies and services that affect them and their families.

Nia’s skills and strengths lie in advocacy, networking, facilitation and mentoring. She is fully committed to working and using Community Development principles and theory in all her work, and is wholly committed to making a difference and challenging poverty and inequality in communities.