South Wales lawyer appointed Chair of Barnardo’s Cymru
By admin
Eleanor Williams, an employment lawyer and leading discrimination specialist with South Wales solicitors Darwin Gray, has been appointed as Chair of Barnardo’s Cymru.
Eleanor, 39, was previously a committee member of Barnardo’s Cymru but her new role means she will not only be involved in directing the charity and its many projects in Wales but is also trustee of Barnardo’s UK.
“The Barnardo’s Cymru committee meets all over Wales which gives us a great chance to get around the country and talk to those involved,” said Eleanor, who comes from Newport and attended Duffryn Comprehensive School.
“The range of Barnardo’s projects is very broad but they all provide invaluable help to children and their families where it is most needed and the work the teams do is truly inspiring.
“My new role means I will have to attend to duties around the UK as well and will have to take a bit of time out from my legal work but Darwin Gray has helped make this possible and everyone there has offered me great encouragement and support in this.”
Eleanor, 39, is an acknowledged expert in disability discrimination and is herself disabled having suffered a brain haemorrhage at the age of 16 which left her needing a wheelchair for nine years before she taught herself to walk sufficiently well again.
As well as advising and representing clients for Darwin Gray solicitors, last autumn she was appointed to the committee of the new Equality and Human Rights Commission in Wales and was a guest speaker at the international launch of a major French anti-racism initiative as part of the European Year of Equal Opportunities.
She also puts her expertise to use as a guest lecturer at the University of Wales, Sheffield Hallam University and Ecole de Hautes Etudes Commerciales in Lille. And she is Equal Opportunities Officer for the Cardiff Law Society and for the Confederation of Wales Law Societies and a director of both the Discrimination Lawyers’ Association and of the Royal Association of Disability and Rehabilitation.
She also trains lawyers on anti-discrimination legislation through Altior Training Consultancy, is an Associate of CMF Disability Consultants and an Associate of the Employers’ Forum on Disability.
