News

It’s time for us to learn four new names as we welcome Rebecca, Natalie, Stephen and Ann-Marie to the team at Derian House. Get the lowdown on our new starters below!

Rebecca Buffin – Accrington Shop Manager

Our brand new Accrington Shop Manager Rebecca has had a very varied career so far – she’s not only travelled the world multiple times and worked with a large number of nationalities and communities, but she’s also worked in a number of big retailers including H&M and Pavers Shoes, where she’s spent the last eight years.

Rebecca absolutely loves working with people, which is why her new venture in Derian House retail will suit her perfectly. She’s looking forward to working within the community and spreading the word about her local children’s hospice.

As a well known lady from Church, Rebecca is really excited about all of the support she’s received so far, and has already got bags upon bags of donations from family members and friends ready for when our brand new Accrington store opens its doors towards the end of May. She’s clued up on all of the shops around the area where our new Derian shop will be, and has been telling everyone in sight that we’re opening up there!

Outside of work, Rebecca loves giving back, and litter picks regularly in her hometown with a group of volunteers. Thanks to having her hands in so many pockets, she’s a self-proclaimed social butterfly, and enjoys tapping into different networks.

One of her favourite moments of all time was sailing out to sea at 4am to watch the sunrise over Sydney Opera House, and has even seen Whitney Houston perform on a cruise ship!

Natalie Pond – Registered Nurse

Natalie is our brand new nurse on the Care Team at Derian House, and has just got back from a holiday in Tenerife after her induction last month! Prior to working here, she was a staff nurse at Royal Preston Hospital for three and a half years, and left as she wanted to spend more time working alongside children and their families.

Natalie is looking forward to spending time getting to know our children and young people and working in a more holistic setting, making memories with our service users and allowing them to make the most of their time here.

When she’s not nursing, Natalie is a proud dog-mum to Honey the 1-year-old Cavapoo, and enjoys days out with her and her boyfriend Joe.

Stephen Carr – IT Technician

Most of you will know Stephen by now as he’s actually been at Derian House in a contractor role since the new year, however now that he’s official we thought we’d interview him anyway!

Our new IT mogul has so far enjoyed a career in a multitude of environments, ranging from schools to the NHS. After working at Derian for a couple of months, Stephen was drawn to the services we provide here and was impressed by our ethos, which led to him applying for the permanent role of IT Technician.

After being made to feel extremely welcome during his initial tenure, Stephen was chuffed to get the role as he also wanted to complete the projects that he had already started as a contractor. He likes a challenge and constantly wants to improve for the future as technology is always changing, so is looking forward to getting stuck in.

Outside of work, Stephen is a massive film buff and used to write a review column in his local paper, even occasionally dipping into the world of podcasts to give his view on all things cinema. He’s also a Manchester United fan and holds a season ticket at Old Trafford.

Fun fact – when he was an undergrad student, Stephen made an independent film which was distributed by Salford University, and was also the chief of their film society.

Ann-Marie Wilburn – Community Fundraiser

The last but not least in our line-up is Community Fundraiser Ann-Marie. Originally from Newcastle, she moved to Wigan 14 years ago for a man and has never looked back!

After working at Boots when she initially moved down to Lancashire, Ann-Marie then went to Morrisons where she later spent three years in the role of Community Champion. Working within the local community will come naturally to our newest recruit as she’s supported many charities through a range of various projects, bringing in a phenomenal total of £75,000 when working with Morrisons alongside Young Lives vs Cancer.

Ann-Marie lived and breathed the charity partnership for three whole years, and began researching Derian House when the supermarket giants recently announced their new charity partner Together for Short Lives. Rather than get invested with another charity for it to be taken off her years down the line, Ann-Marie wanted to put all her focuses and efforts into her local children’s hospice, so when the job came up it was a perfect opportunity for her.

When she’s not at work, she loves being mum to Joel (aged 10) and Mia (aged 6), who also love fundraising and have been interested in mum’s job ever since she accepted it back in March. She’s never not worked weekends, so it’s a refreshing change for her and her family!

Interestingly, Ann-Marie was a Team Star at Park Resorts where she sang and dance the holidays away for three seasons before she left to have children… we wonder how long it’ll be before she’s twerking away in the Danni costume?!