Trustees are the people who ensure that a charity works in the best interests of its mission and beneficiaries. At AVA our trustees are also company directors, as we are a company limited under guarantee as well as a registered charity.
AVA currently has five trustees.
Ade Solarin
Ade has extensive experience in the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) sector, including development and strategic work, commissioning and multi-agency partnership. He has a MA in Applied Criminology, Community Safety and Youth Justice, and experience in policy research, crime reduction and analysis. Ade is currently the Community Safety Manager at Waltham Forest Council, after almost 10 years leading on VAWG and safeguarding children policy at Lewisham Borough Council.
Bridget Symonds
Bridget has worked in a variety of settings over the last 12 years always with a focus on VAWG. She began as a volunteer with rape and sexual violence survivors, then moved into working with substance use survivors, women in prisons and perpetrators of domestic abuse through probation and the family courts. Most recently Bridget has managed refuges and community domestic abuse services for Solace Women’s Aid in London and worked on a national early intervention approach to working with perpetrators of domestic abuse at Respect. Bridget is currently the Head of Women’s Centres at Women in Prison and is passionate about drawing attention to the experience of women impacted by the Criminal Justice System with a particular focus on their experiences of VAWG. Bridget has a MA in Woman and Child Abuse and has given lectures, talks and been interviewed on her expertise around VAWG and perpetrators of domestic abuse.
Joanna Kelly
Jo has been on the board of trustees since September 2015 and was our Chair between 2017 and 2022. Eradicating Violence Against Women and Girls is a cause that is close to her heart as she understands from personal experience the devastating effects it can have on survivors and their families. Jo works in senior management within the private sector and specialises in business strategy and intelligence, maximising commercial opportunities and managing large projects – including many website redesigns and digital marketing campaigns. Jo brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from her private sector career to AVA which ensures the effective governance and running of the charity. She is currently focused on supporting AVA’s management and staff team develop their new Strategic Framework to ensure AVA stays true to its core mission whilst evolving to meet the needs of changing times.
