The Headlight Project Team

The team is a co-operative of professionals with the same intrinsic core values, aims and objectives supporting individuals who are struggling with different and diverse issues which are having an impact on everyday life and happiness.

They are members of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (MBACP) BACP Certificate of Proficiency and all have an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Certificate.

Maxine is the Lead Counsellor on the Project. She is a highly qualified counsellor and has a wealth of experience of working with children, young people and adults presenting with many different and diverse issues. Maxine is trained to be congruent (open, honest and genuine), listen without judgement and demonstrate empathy. The environment in which she likes to work is warm, trusting and supportive in a private and safe place which helps individuals to talk in confidence, work through their thoughts, feelings and behaviours about whatever is concerning them, mostly at a pace the individual is most comfortable with.

Claire is a counsellor on the Project and and has worked in the charitable sector supporting individuals of all ages, mainly on a one to one basis, for many years. Her passion is for working with children and young people, for which she has a special talent, and in working creatively to show that there are ways, other than talking, to express what might be going on with the individual. This entails using art, craft and games so that therapeutic work is non-threatening.

Claire is a counsellor on the Project. She was a registered nurse for many years and taught counselling within further and higher education organisations. Claire trained as a counsellor at Durham University and works with both children and adults. She truly believes in the concept and process of counselling therapy and her finds her role is equally challenging as it is rewarding. She feels immensely privileged to be part of the team and part of such a wonderful project.

Cerys is a Counsellor and Play Therapist on the Project. She provides emotional and psychological support to children, families and adults, through either a talking therapy approach or by working creatively together. Each person is unique and therefore her approach in working with each person is also unique – what fits for one, may not fit for another.

Cerys also has specialist training in working with families. This form of Play Therapy is known as Filial Therapy. Cerys is also trained in Theraplay and is midway through training to be a DDP practitioner. She also possesses beginner level knowledge of British Sign Language and is a welcome addition to the project’s team.

Catherine studied law in Leeds and qualified as a solicitor in 2003. She has specialised in employment law and HR practice for 16 years and advises organisations of all sizes on all aspects of employment law and HR matters. At the end of 2017 she left private practice to start her own consultancy.

Catherine worked as a HR Director for an academy trust and was a director on the board of a local play group and preschool for 7 years. in 2016, she became a school governor at her local primary school in North Yorkshire. She was appointed Chair of Governors in October 2017.

Catherine founded the Russ Devereux Headlight Project after the tragic death of her husband, Russ, by suicide in May 2018. The Headlight Project has continued to grow with the love and support from family and friends, numerous fund-raising events, and donations received from many business colleagues in the local area together with the help of the very special team that make up the Project today.

Ken has ran Devereux Transport & Distribution for the last 50 years. The business was started by Kens father over 70 years ago and is one of the leading and most recognisable haulage firms in the North East. It employs almost 200 staff and has around 100 vehicles.

Russ, Ken’s oldest son, joined the business after leaving college and worked with him for almost 25 years, more latterly in running the business with Ken, until Russ’s death in 2018. Russ’s death devastated the family and is a huge loss to both them and to the business that he was so passionate about. He was extremely proud of his family roots and worked hard to help make the business the success it is today. Past events have shown Ken and the wider family of the need for support for families and children affected by suicide and Ken feels that the Headlight Project is a fitting tribute to the legacy of his son.

From an early stage in Alison’s career she has been involved in supporting vulnerable children and their families. She started working in Education Inclusion, and then completed her professional qualifications as a Youth Offending Officer. Following the birth of her children she moved across to Social Care offering emergency respite care and emotional well-being support to Children in Need within the CATS team. From there she moved into Education Management in the Vulnerable Pupils section of Durham Education Department. After over a decade of local authority working Alison made the move to the charity sector and spent four happy years with the Prince’s Trust. Firstly as a Fairbridge Programme Manager in Middlesbrough offering alternative education to vulnerable young people aged between 13-25 and then as the National Safeguarding Advisor. For the last year Alison returned to Education and has been heading up safeguarding for a local Academy Trust.

Alison’s support to the project will be to provide strategic safeguarding support to the team on the ground. She considers it an absolute honour to be involved with the Headlight Project.

The Headlight Project Team

Maxine Alton

Claire Jewson

Claire Cantwell

Cerys Overington

Catherine Devereux

Ken Devereux

Alison Turner

Anna Forbes

Richard Bowden

Emma Simkins