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Simon Community NI Appoints New Directors

13 March 2020

Simon Community NI has announced the appointments of a new Director of Homelessness Services and Director of Finance and Business Support.

A homelessness specialist, Kirsten Hewitt joins Simon Community after five years at The Salvation Army Ireland. During her time at Salvation Army, Kirsten was instrumental in developing homeless family provision and prior to this role spent a number of years in London working on major change projects both in the voluntary and public sector.

Speaking of her new role, Kirsten Hewitt, Director of Homelessness Services, commented:

I am excited to join an organisation which works with some of the most vulnerable people in our society at a critical time for the homelessness sector. Supporting individuals to reach their full potential has been a driving force for me in my career and I look forward to working with staff and clients at Simon Community as we continue to work towards ending homelessness in Northern Ireland.

Áine Robinson, Simon Community’s new Director of Finance and Business Support, comes from Tourism NI where she held various finance roles spanning seven years. Before this, she obtained her Chartered Accountant status with Goldblatt McGuigan in Belfast where she gained a variety of experience working with organisations across the public, private and voluntary sectors.

Commenting on moving to the charity sector, Áine commented:

I’m excited by the prospect of leading the Finance and Business Support department of a truly brilliant charity that positively impacts so many lives throughout Northern Ireland. I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues across the organisation as we strive to achieve our mission of ending homelessness.

Making the announcement at the charity’s recent staff conference, Jim Dennison, Chief Executive at Simon Community NI said:

With the charity currently midway through an energetic and ambitious five-year strategy, we are excited to have such experience and talent on board as we move into a new phase of homelessness in Northern Ireland. The range of expertise that Kirsten and Áine deliver will go a long way at transforming the charity and futureproofing it as it responds to an increase in homelessness rates, complexity of cases and funding fluctuations. I wish them the best of luck, and fun, in their new roles.