top of page
Network
The LAH Network is comprised of survivor activists, community advocates and multidisciplinary practitioners from various backgrounds.
The Network has four CIC Directors, two operational and two consultants, who work alongside a Coordinating Group (CG) responsible for the management of the Network based on proactive collaboration and co-production between survivors and professionals. Our Network Members also play an important role in developing our activities and resources via consultations, experience sharing and ideas to bring our communities together and make London a truly ACE-aware metropolis.
Learn about our roles, passions and commitments below and get in touch if you would like to contribute to our work.
Meet Us
Leading Members
Vittoria De Meo
Co-Production Lead
Vittoria is an active campaigner of mental health and is passionate about supporting people to have a say in the mental health services they receive. She is an Independent mental health advisor, workshop’s facilitator and a mentor with coaching skills.
Vittoria works with a variety of organisations including Clinical Commissioning Groups, NHS providers and the Royal College of Psychiatrist. She co-facilitates away days, educational sessions and training to hospital staff, particularly emergency department staff and mental health nurses. She has been invited to various Conferences as a speaker. Her main topics: Self-empowerment, how do you define compassion, searching for a meaning and purpose in life and self-awareness.
She is the founder of The Happiness Corner model: ‘The Happiness Corner is the embodiment of my life experiences, the different techniques and modules I learned and the right answer to an unwavering passion for elevating the lives of others and help them make progress’.
In 2019, she founded FOR WOMEN CIC whose mission is to assist and encourage women to strive for wellness in all areas of their lives and to create spaces where women can support and encourage each other through their lived experience. So far, she has facilitated over 100 sessions to over 300 women coming from different cultures and background.
She joined the London ACEs Hub in 2019 as an expert by experience and is now a proactive member of its Coordinating Group.
Learn more about Vittoria's work outside the LAH here:
https://www.forwomengroup.org.uk/
Vittoria is an active campaigner of mental health and is passionate about supporting people to have a say in the mental health services they receive. She is an Independent mental health advisor, workshop’s facilitator and a mentor with coaching skills.
Vittoria works with a variety of organisations including Clinical Commissioning Groups, NHS providers and the Royal College of Psychiatrist. She co-facilitates away days, educational sessions and training to hospital staff, particularly emergency department staff and mental health nurses. She has been invited to various Conferences as a speaker. Her main topics: Self-empowerment, how do you define compassion, searching for a meaning and purpose in life and self-awareness.
She is the founder of The Happiness Corner model: ‘The Happiness Corner is the embodiment of my life experiences, the different techniques and modules I learned and the right answer to an unwavering passion for elevating the lives of others and help them make progress’.
In 2019, she founded FOR WOMEN CIC whose mission is to assist and encourage women to strive for wellness in all areas of their lives and to create spaces where women can support and encourage each other through their lived experience. So far, she has facilitated over 100 sessions to over 300 women coming from different cultures and background.
She joined the London ACEs Hub in 2019 as an expert by experience and is now a proactive member of its Coordinating Group.
Learn more about Vittoria's work outside the LAH here:
https://www.forwomengroup.org.uk/
Derek Williams
Racial Justice Lead
Derek Williams is a Wellbeing Practitioner. He has a wealth of experience in working with communities and young people and is keen to unite with anyone who is of a similar mindset.
As a former professional boxer, he became the Commonwealth and European Heavyweight Champion.
Derek now uses his success as a champion, to deliver motivational talks around the country, where he is able to empower young people and to motivate employees within business organisations and corporations.
Derek is the Chairman at The Pedro Club in Hackney, which is a youth club that serves the Community and young people from the ages of 16 – 21.
Derek has been interested in the progress of Black Lives Matter and is hoping to see more people from the black and ethnic minorities being given equal opportunities and progression across all fields including, Media, Law and in Government/Legislation so that there is better representation for the people that they serve.
Derek set up the Parents Against Crime (PAC) Campaign to tackle youth violence especially in the local communities and ending the County Lines operations which is a major concern for law enforcement.
London ACEs Hub is doing amazing work and Derek is happy to be a part of this team which has such a great variety of multidisciplinary practitioners and activists.
Derek Williams is a Wellbeing Practitioner. He has a wealth of experience in working with communities and young people and is keen to unite with anyone who is of a similar mindset.
As a former professional boxer, he became the Commonwealth and European Heavyweight Champion.
Derek now uses his success as a champion, to deliver motivational talks around the country, where he is able to empower young people and to motivate employees within business organisations and corporations.
Derek is the Chairman at The Pedro Club in Hackney, which is a youth club that serves the Community and young people from the ages of 16 – 21.
Derek has been interested in the progress of Black Lives Matter and is hoping to see more people from the black and ethnic minorities being given equal opportunities and progression across all fields including, Media, Law and in Government/Legislation so that there is better representation for the people that they serve.
Derek set up the Parents Against Crime (PAC) Campaign to tackle youth violence especially in the local communities and ending the County Lines operations which is a major concern for law enforcement.
London ACEs Hub is doing amazing work and Derek is happy to be a part of this team which has such a great variety of multidisciplinary practitioners and activists.
Judith Rees
Safeguarding Team Lead
Judith is Director of Operations at The For Baby's Sake Trust. She took up this role in July 2015, having previously worked in the NHS for 33 years. Over this time she was a Staff Nurse, Midwife, Health Visitor, Practice Teacher, Safeguarding Children's Nurse and Team Leader for Health Visitors and then led the Family Nurse Partnership Team in Hertfordshire before joining the Trust. She completed her MSc in Child Protection and Child Welfare at the University of Hertfordshire and her passion for early intervention and safeguarding in relation to domestic abuse along with her training, supervision and safeguarding skills are now being put to excellent use in For Baby’s Sake.
https://www.forbabyssake.org.uk
https://www.forbabyssake.org.uk
Judith is Director of Operations at The For Baby's Sake Trust. She took up this role in July 2015, having previously worked in the NHS for 33 years. Over this time she was a Staff Nurse, Midwife, Health Visitor, Practice Teacher, Safeguarding Children's Nurse and Team Leader for Health Visitors and then led the Family Nurse Partnership Team in Hertfordshire before joining the Trust. She completed her MSc in Child Protection and Child Welfare at the University of Hertfordshire and her passion for early intervention and safeguarding in relation to domestic abuse along with her training, supervision and safeguarding skills are now being put to excellent use in For Baby’s Sake.
https://www.forbabyssake.org.uk
https://www.forbabyssake.org.uk
CIC Operational Directors
CIC Consultant Directors
Tiane Graziottin
Operational Director
Tiane is a Brazilian psychologist with an MSc in Counselling who has been working for over twenty years in clinical, educational and community settings in diverse contexts.
She is a person-centred practitioner with a passion for inclusive and empowering practices and communities.
Tiane has worked in London since 2005 in the areas of substance misuse, mental health and family and young people’s support.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma-informed care have been an important focus of her work since 2017. She is one of the founders of the London ACEs Hub (LAH) and has been proactively involved in developing the network and its activities since the creation of the group in 2019.
In July 2021, Tiane became one of the founding directors of the LAH Community Interest Company.
She remains committed to making the LAH a lively and creative organic network that nurtures and welcomes multiples voices and experiences and promotes ACEs awareness and resilience throughout Greater London's communities and beyond.
Tiane is a Brazilian psychologist with an MSc in Counselling who has been working for over twenty years in clinical, educational and community settings in diverse contexts.
She is a person-centred practitioner with a passion for inclusive and empowering practices and communities.
Tiane has worked in London since 2005 in the areas of substance misuse, mental health and family and young people’s support.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma-informed care have been an important focus of her work since 2017. She is one of the founders of the London ACEs Hub (LAH) and has been proactively involved in developing the network and its activities since the creation of the group in 2019.
In July 2021, Tiane became one of the founding directors of the LAH Community Interest Company.
She remains committed to making the LAH a lively and creative organic network that nurtures and welcomes multiples voices and experiences and promotes ACEs awareness and resilience throughout Greater London's communities and beyond.
Joanna Oliver
Operational Director
Joanna Oliver has a diverse professional and educational background, in a range of sectors including
universities, charities, parent support groups, social care and therapeutic communities, underpinned by a degree in Advertising, Media and Marketing, a Masters degree in Therapeutic Child Care and a Masters degree in Education. Research experience includes Masters level research in race and ethnicity in therapeutic work, Doctoral research in collaborative working in services for children, young people and families and current Doctoral research focused upon black young men with autism and their experience of the criminal justice system. More recently, Joanna undertook narrative research, to explore the stories of black and brown women, who have experienced the removal of their children to Local Authority care. As a lecturer, Joanna has taught on a BA (hons) programme in Counselling, Coaching and Mentoring, including modules in Therapeutic Work with children and young people and Working with Clients in groups, in Equality and Diversity, MA level module in Equality and Social Justice and foundation studies in Education. Joanna holds professional qualifications in vocational assessment, supervision and FE teaching. Joanna’s experience includes working with care leavers, delivering professional training, including culture, race and identity with foster carers and DEI training for a recruitment agency. Her academic career led to her speaking at conferences in European universities, including Milan, Padua, Thessaloniki and Seville and the UK. Joanna has developed a range of professional supervision and therapeutic mentoring programmes, mainly related to personal and professional growth and development, and a funding bid mentoring programme, to consolidate 15 years of tender and bid writing experience. Joanna first became interested in the work of the LAH, through their Racial Justice series and has remained a champion ever since, with a particular interest in the intersect between race as a potential source of trauma, alongside other ACEs. Joanna is also the LAH Racial Justice Co-Lead with Derek Williams.
Joanna Oliver has a diverse professional and educational background, in a range of sectors including
universities, charities, parent support groups, social care and therapeutic communities, underpinned by a degree in Advertising, Media and Marketing, a Masters degree in Therapeutic Child Care and a Masters degree in Education. Research experience includes Masters level research in race and ethnicity in therapeutic work, Doctoral research in collaborative working in services for children, young people and families and current Doctoral research focused upon black young men with autism and their experience of the criminal justice system. More recently, Joanna undertook narrative research, to explore the stories of black and brown women, who have experienced the removal of their children to Local Authority care. As a lecturer, Joanna has taught on a BA (hons) programme in Counselling, Coaching and Mentoring, including modules in Therapeutic Work with children and young people and Working with Clients in groups, in Equality and Diversity, MA level module in Equality and Social Justice and foundation studies in Education. Joanna holds professional qualifications in vocational assessment, supervision and FE teaching. Joanna’s experience includes working with care leavers, delivering professional training, including culture, race and identity with foster carers and DEI training for a recruitment agency. Her academic career led to her speaking at conferences in European universities, including Milan, Padua, Thessaloniki and Seville and the UK. Joanna has developed a range of professional supervision and therapeutic mentoring programmes, mainly related to personal and professional growth and development, and a funding bid mentoring programme, to consolidate 15 years of tender and bid writing experience. Joanna first became interested in the work of the LAH, through their Racial Justice series and has remained a champion ever since, with a particular interest in the intersect between race as a potential source of trauma, alongside other ACEs. Joanna is also the LAH Racial Justice Co-Lead with Derek Williams.