Chris Convery

After a varied and interesting career in construction, manufacturing, professional driving and four years in the armed forces I found my place in the world and the passion in my heart, helping people with challenging behaviours, learning difficulties and disabilities. Whether it’s in teaching, care, or respite support I bring a huge sense of motivation, competence and skills into my work at Holder House, the Community Interest Company (CIC) I helped set up in 2008.

Holder House CIC is a social enterprise designed to offer training, education, and workplace environments or as a place to simply relax. Our beneficiaries include people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, mental health issues, autism, the elderly and local schools. We help groups understand each other’s difficulties, promote equal rights, independence, choice and inclusion. The support is built around the individual’s needs.

We work over 7 days, including running a Saturday and Sunday club for adults and children who access this using their personal budget “direct payment”

I’m accustomed to building great teams, just like the one here at Holder House. I believe in helping everyone realise their potential for maximum benefit to themselves, our clients and the CIC, which rewards me with a successful and cohesive unit of dedicated individuals

My responsibilities include applying for appropriate funding for projects and I have been very successful in securing this on numerous occasions. I manage the funds to ensure they are put to best use for all stakeholders. I’m also responsible for the overall operations of our Community Interest Company, ensuring it meet the needs of the people attending, that our staff are DBS checked and continually trained to meet the demands of the service.

In 2012 I was awarded for South Tyneside Council Innovator of the year.
in 2013 I was a finalist in the Pride of South Tyneside.
In 2016 I was a finalist for the staffing awards in the “Pride of South Tyneside”