We are sad to announce that Rachel Waddingham (our most recent Chair) has resigned from the Intervoice Charity Board due to personal circumstances. However, we are very happy to welcome Lisa Forestell – an existing member of the board – who has agreed to step forward as our new Chair.
The following messages, written by Rachel and Lisa, are taken from our Facebook Group. They serve as a farewell and a hello.
A farewell message from Rachel (Rai)
Hi all.
I’ve been Chair of the Intervoice charity board for a year or so, but have stepped down today and also resigned from the board. Thankfully, the wonderful Lisa Forestell (already a board member) has stepped forward to become Chair on an Interim Basis (although I hope that she continues after the AGM in September). She is the perfect person to help nurture and support the charity’s growth.
Deciding to step down after being part of the board for so many years (as an advisor and then as a member) wasn’t easy. I’m still committed to what we stand for and proud to have been part of a group of people who are working to be humble and support this precious and diverse movement (within our limited resources) rather than attempt to run it.
But, since becoming pregnant and happily having Thea (my 5-month-old baby), I’ve been struggling. Those connected with me on Facebook will know about this already. Being a mum is life-changing, and she truly is fantastic, but as a voice-hearer, vision-seer and experience-haver … it has brought many challenges too. I need to focus on being the best mum I can be, and don’t want Intervoice to suffer for this. I’m still part of the movement, and still a member of the charity (if you’re not a member … you can join at https://www.intervoiceonline.org/about-intervoice).
This is not goodbye, as I’m still part of the Hearing Voices Movement and will see you around future events.
The Intervoice Board is currently: Lisa Forestell (Chair), Dirk Corstens(Vice Chair), Sandra Escher, Kellie Stastny, Jørn Ditlev Eriksen and Phil Benjamin.
Because I think she’s awesome – and she’s probably the best reason to step down from something I’m passionate about – here’s a photo of the lovely Thea 
With warmth and solidarity x
Lisa’s ‘Hello’
Hi Everyone,
Seeing that the lovely, Rachel Waddingham, has tagged me in her thoughtful post, I thought I would ride her coat tails with one of my own. (It may be as irrelevant as hers!) As she mentioned, my name is Lisa and I am a member of the Intervoice Board. In the last day, I’ve stepped in as Interim Chair with the support of the genuine folks I serve on this board with.
It all feels a bit odd, really. I thought I would live my whole life keeping my voice hearing to myself. In grade (primary) school, I’d been taught that I was odd or wrong for hearing them so my voices and I entered into an agreement to never tell or let on. I was probably 7 or 8 then. In 2008 or so, I learned about the Hearing Voices Movement, through the Western Mass RLC, and was stunned. I couldn’t believe there was a community of people that thought it (I) was okay to have experiences that others did not share, that encouraged relationships with our voices, that confirmed that I was not alone in my experiences, and that affirmed that there are many ways to understand what happens for us. My voices and I had to reconsider our arrangement so I could join this vital movement. Over the years we’ve been a part of groups, facilitated, spoken, trained, developed curriculums, worked on the Hearing Voices USA and Intervoice boards and even hosted a congress (2017 in Boston!) but, the most important part of our involvement are the connections, friends and acceptance from this community. These relationships drive our passion. So while I still feel like the “quiet girl who hears things,” I have the opportunity to support this wonderful tribe, while one of my voices continually affirms that he believes that this is our fate.
I’ll be co-facilitating Intervoice Day at this year’s Congress with Olga Runciman: http://10thworldhearingvoicescongress.nl/. It’s happening the week of 10 September at The Hague in the Netherlands! This year’s focus is “human rights”, a topic that can’t have too much focus! I hope to see many of you there and to the wonderful conversations and learning sure to be had!
While I’m looking forward to the continued work of this board, I’m equally curious about you. So if I get the chance to meet you, please introduce yourself, tell me something wonderful about you, shake my hand and remember, …I’m the “quiet girl who hears things.”
