Meet The Staff | Positive Life

Jacquie's Social Media Channels

I have worked in the voluntary and community sectors for almost 40 years. I have held a range of senior leadership roles since 1998 and worked across a range of areas including advice, prisoner and family services alongside mental health, domestic abuse, learning disability and community development.

I have experience working with small local community groups right through to large national organisations and this has helped me get a good understanding of the diversities and complexities of a range of organisational management and governance structures and their respective working environments.

Over the years I’ve established a significant network of relationships across the political arena, and this along with experience of public affairs and the use of various media platforms leaves me well placed to raise awareness and campaign on behalf people living with HIV in Northern Ireland.

I feel priviliged and proud of the work I do and like to promote a ‘can do’ culture with people at the centre.

I also like to think that my energetic and creative style, together with my warm, positive and dynamic (!) personality, will help Positive Life achieve only good things for people affected by HIV in Northern Ireland…..very happy to take your feedback on that!! 😊

Following more than 25 years in NHS finance, I began working at Positive Life which was then The HIV Support Centre in June 2010. I can therefore proudly say I am the longest serving member of the Positive Life staff team.

In my role as Corporate Services Manager I have responsibility for financial management, premises and equipment maintenance as well as general office management duties. I really enjoy my work and its great to be a member of such a dedicated team.

During my time here I have seen many exciting changes and developments as the organization has grown from strength to strength to become the Positive Life it is today.

I have been with Positive Life since 2016. For many years I was employed as an actor, writer and director and I appeared in shows all over the UK and Ireland.

Now on a completely different path, I will soon be graduating from the University of Ulster as a counsellor and the perpetual student that I am plans to continue his studies by enrolling on a Master’s Degree in counselling.

My favourite colour is blue, my lucky number is 7, and as a result of an unfortunate incident with an unforgiving feline some years ago, I hate cats.

At the risk of making myself sound old, I have worked in the Voluntary and Community sector for almost twenty years now!

I have a strong background in advocacy along with welfare benefits and debt advice, and have worked in various roles which utilised these skills. I am currently studying Psychological Trauma Studies at Queen's University, Belfast, so I can often be found with my nose in a book and pen in my hair.

I have been with Positive for almost three years, and in my current role for two of those. Alongside my work on the +Family Life Project, I also manage our social media channels, so please feel to join me on the Positive Life Facebook page, Instagram, or my own (work) FB profile. I'd love to see you there!

I have learnt a lot since joining the team here and I look forward to many more happy years in Derryvolgie.

Kennedy Thomson, 35, feels 39.

I currently work as the information and support officer within positive life and have been in this role for over 2 years now. Before joining Positive Life I worked as a health facilitator for the Belfast Trust for over 10 years.

In my spare time I used to enjoy playing golf and tennis but since my cheeky monkey of a son (Oliver) enriched my life over 2 years ago I cant even find the time to watch it on the tv never mind play it. Currently making plans to introduce him to golf so watch this space!

My passion is personal development and I recently qualified as a mental health and wellbeing coach. I try and bring a positive attitude to everything I do. I believe everyone is capable of great things and some people are lucky enough to find what that is sooner than others but no matter how long it takes you will get there.

I really enjoy my role within Positive Life and feel grateful for the opportunity to work with such a talented dynamic team and I'm very proud of the work we do as an organisation.

I have been working for Positive Life for two and a half years, initially in an administrative role and currently part of the services team as Information and Support Services Worker.

My favourite part of my role is interacting with our wonderful service users, and seeing improvements in their day to day lives makes me very proud of the work we do.

When not working I’m either cooking, avoiding the gym or enjoying a good book with a glass of wine. Interested in politics and culture, bit nerdy. When other kids were playing football, I was learning capital cities, that kind of guy!

Currently obsessed with Moira Rose.