Neurodiversity Community Awareness Advocates
Real voices. Ground-up impact. Real change for Northern Ireland.
Change doesn’t begin in institutions; it starts in communities, in living rooms, workplaces, support groups and even WhatsApp chats.
Our Community Awareness Advocates are people with lived experience of neurodivergence who stand shoulder to shoulder with others.
Local Changemakers
They’re not volunteers or staff – they’re local changemakers, using their stories, networks, and skills to challenge inequality, speak truth to power, and influence how neurodivergence is supported in Northern Ireland.
They raise awareness, meet with stakeholders, respond to policy change, speak at events, and represent SparkK’s mission across sectors. Together, they help us fight for better access to services, clearer pathways to support, and a future where lived experience leads the way.
Meet the Community Awareness Advocates
Trish O’Hara
PDA & Lived Experience Support: Trish is based in Belfast and brings professional expertise alongside lived experience. She’s the founder of PDA Family Hub NI and co-creator of Northern Ireland’s first neuro-affirming, parent-led SEN support system within a mainstream post-primary school. Trish is deeply committed to improving systems through compassion, knowledge, and grassroots advocacy.
Stevie Dooley
Visibility, Intersectionality & Systems Change: Stevie works in tech, where they’ve helped build neurodiversity employee resource groups and shape inclusive pathways within private healthcare. A committed advocate for equity and access, Stevie’s approach centres on intersectionality, linking disability, gender, race, and economic justice in the wider push for policy and social reform.
Kirsty Gillen
Higher Education & Peer Support: Kirsty is a parent and proud neurodivergent woman based in Belfast, living with ADHD and dyslexia. She works in digital technology, supporting staff and students in higher education. Kirsty champions neurodiversity at work through events, awareness-building, and peer support, and is especially passionate about empowering neurodivergent parents before and after childbirth.