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Mike's Biography
My 33 year career was spent in the Probation Service, the last 11 as Chief Probation Officer in Northumbria.
I was motivated by the ethos of the Probation Service, which gave offenders a "second chance" and the
role of the probation officer to "advise, assist and befriend" those under supervision.
During my time in the Service, I was active in both NAPO (Vice Chair 1979-81) and subsequently ACOP.
It was whilst in Northumbria that I first became associated with SOVA.
Since retirement in 1999, I have remained active in criminal justice.
As Visiting Professor at Northumbria University, I established a Community Safety Research Unit there.
I chaired the Board of the Community Justice National Training Organisation and thereafter the
steering group and then Shadow Board which established Skills for Justice, a new Sector Skills Council.
For this piece of work, I was awarded the OBE, for services to the criminal justice sector.
I sat on the Advisory Board of the International Centre for Prison Studies Justice Reinvestment project in Gateshead.
Additionally, I have been active in other settings since retirement.
Amongst other things, I worked as the first Associate Programme Director for Common Purpose for four years.
I chaired the Management Committee which set up After Adoption services in the North East.
I acted as independent Chair of the Bishop of Newcastle's Panel, which established Child Protection procedures for the diocese.
I was Deputy Chair and am now Vice President of the Community Foundation, serving Tyne & Wear and Northumberland.
For four years, I chaired the Board of Northern Stage Theatre Company in Newcastle.
I currently chair the Board of Tyneside Cyrenians, the largest charity providing services to the homeless
and other socially excluded people in the North East.
I led the Invest 2006 campaign in the North East, which drew attention to the funding crisis facing
the voluntary and community sector and I chaired the group which developed a Leadership Strategy for the sector in the NE region.
I also enjoy retirement! I love travel and hill walking, am passionate about Rugby League (my home town team of Wigan in particular),
I'm a member of Durham CCC and I'm a regular theatre, cinema and concert goer.
In January/February of 2008, my partner and I worked on a voluntary project in Tanzania,
with a Newcastle charity "Gaps for Grumpies", building a toilet block and kitchen for a school high in the foothills of Mt Kilimanjaro.
Mike Worthington
September 2008
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