Meet the team
Meet The Team
MALEEHA AKBAR
Hello, my name is Maleeha and I became a Peer Mentor for VAC in February 2024. Before this, I was studying Fashion Business & Management in Manchester during Covid-19 which resulted in a severe decline in my mental health.
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My lived experiences include depression, anxiety, psychosis and substance misuse. In June 2022, I decided to return to Cardiff to look after myself and begin my recovery journey. I was able to engage with some part-time work, improve my mental health and participate in engagement requests through Caniad. Soon after, I was introduced to St Giles by my Barnardo’s support worker in February 2023, an organisation which also helped me get back on my feet and enrolled me onto their peer mentoring programme. Peer mentoring gradually grew closer to my heart and it’s given me the confidence to help support others who are facing similar challenges and experiences. Not long after, I applied for a full-time role at CAVDAS and got the job!
MO MOODY
I have struggled for many years with reliance on alcohol to help me cope with anxiety, depression and trauma. I honestly don’t know when it became a serious problem, but it inevitably did!
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I’m sure COVID didn’t help or the fact that I retired from a very stressful job in the NHS – I had way too much time on my hands and a lot of it was spent in boredom and loneliness.
I finally reached out for help in August 2022 when I found Recovery Cymru. It was such a massive relief to find a community of people who totally understood me. I haven’t drunk alcohol since.
After about a year I felt ready to give back some of the support that had helped me so much. So, I began volunteering with RC and CAVDAS. I also joined VAC and have been rep for about a year!
I really enjoy the variety of things that I can get involved with. As a volunteer, I co- facilitate a women’s group and a coffee morning at CAVDAS. With VAC, I have helped with the drop-ins, outreach at several hostels, sat on interview panels, conferences and regularly attend team meetings. It’s great to feel that I can make a difference even if it’s in a small way. I’m enthusiastic about the work that we do and I’m looking forward to more opportunities in the future!
RUSS DAVIES
I have been a volunteer at VAC for 11 months now. I was a chronic depressive who spent time in hospital after a mental health crisis. It took a lot of therapy and time to become stable.
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I know I am not cured and still struggle but it has become easier. I am currently homeless and live at the Huggard where I support my neighbours.My strengths include knowledge of homelessness, the criminal justice system and mental health. Although I do not have direct experience with substances, I have been active in training and always keen to learn!
I regularly facilitate VAC drop-ins and love to get a service users involved in our projects. Outreach is an area I’m keen in as it has a huge impact on what we do, it engages others, and I love creating connections with clients and staff.
I am also passionate about networking with other agencies. It opens doors, promotes good practice and helps us help others. I have attended co-production and lived experience events and enjoy promoting VAC’s vision to others – I love to be part of a team and seeing things grow.
MARCUS MURPHY
I joined VAC to make a difference in my life and in others. I have lived experience of substance use and used drugs since the age of 12. I was also a binge drinker who was in and out of jail since I was 17.
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I knew I needed to turn my life around and in 2024 I began to enter recovery. The biggest thing I’ve learnt from being in recovery is that I’m a good person who can do good things.
I know I’m living a better life than what I did before, and my positive experiences are outweighing the bad ones. Going to the gym and volunteering has helped to keep me busy and focused. I know how challenging addiction can be, but I want to make it easier for the next person that walks into services for support. I believe giving people the opportunity for their voices to be seen and heard is so
important.
SANDI HAINES
I Joined VAC in 2022 because I care about people’s voices being heard. Its very important to me, and this, in turn, will hopefully improve services within Cardiff & Vale.
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I also volunteered for CAVDAS for 7 months and have been a substance use
worker for almost a year!I used to have a close-minded view ofpeople who misuse substances, but that allchanged when I was introduced to the NSPby Jude Enticott (RC VolunteerCoordinator). I instantly became drawn to it and startedvolunteering at the NSP on Neville Street,half a day, every week before entering full-time employment. I love building a rapportwith the clients and creating a welcomingenvironment.I also have lived experience of substancemisuse from a family member which hasled me to develop a strongerunderstanding of addiction. I am gainingmore knowledge of substances every dayand I am always keen to learn!
SASKIA WALSH
Hello, name is Saskia, and I joined Voices Action Change in January 2025. I was studying a Criminology and Criminal Justice degree and loved learning about substance use and mental health.
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Following my degree I have worked for Platfform Wellbeing, Dyfodol and St Giles Trust. My experience of substance use stems from a family member. This has given me firsthand experience as to how a loved one using substances can impact those around you. This, along with my professional experiences, has given me the knowledge and experience of what substance use can do to the individual and those closest to them. I picked up on the fact that often services aren’t focused on the individuals accessing them and as a result those individuals don’t receive the appropriate care. When I saw this job opportunity arise, I knew that this was something I would love to do. Co-producing work with people who have lived or living experience is something I am very passionate about and believe it is a fundamental part of creating great services.
TEE-JAY RICHARDS
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It took a toll on my relationship with my kids, ex-partner and I had a breakdown on my kitchen floor. At the time, I was not in contact with any substance use services didn’t want support because I thought I could manage it myself. Looking back, I wish I could’ve reached out to somebody. Today, I know reaching out for help is the bravest thing you could do. I’ve been in lots of low states and life is too short to stay in that cycle. My grandpa, mother and father were all drinkers too and it’s been hard to watch addiction take hold of your loved ones. If I could give one piece of advice to someone who is still struggling, it would be to ask for help, there is support out there.
ALEX PENGILLEY
Hi, my name is Alex and I have been a volunteer at VAC since January 2025. I joined VAC after many years of supporting my son through addiction and mental health issues.
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There are many things that family members and I went through over a long period of time that I felt no family should go through. I wanted to better my understanding and joining VAC has given me the hope that I can help to improve services with my experiences. Especially for those who are accessing services as a family member or concerned other. Throughout my journey with VAC, I have been involved with the ketamine working group, surveys, early days in recovery meetings, outreach and drop ins.
Working in these areas has led me to expand my volunteering opportunities with CAVDAS, such as, the Homeless and Assertive Outreach Team and engage with the Family and Concerned Others support group. It has empowered me to strive for positive change. I thoroughly enjoy working with all the amazing people involved with VAC, they have been very friendly and supportive.
VAC REPRESENTATIVE
Hello, I am a Voices Action Change Representative, I joined VAC in May 2025. I first started drinking alcohol when I was 16 years old where I would binge drink with my friends every weekend.
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When I went to university, I quickly realised that I could drink every day, so I did. That pattern of drinking stayed like that until the COVID-19 lockdown where I began drinking every day and night. I then re-entered my work life as an alcoholic. I didn’t know what the withdrawal symptoms were and thought it was just a hangover, until I realised that being sick during the working day was not normal. To deal with my withdrawal symptoms I would drink throughout the day, just so I could function. I did this for about a year. I then lost my job due to my drinking, and I became homeless. I had no money coming in so I could no longer afford my rent, and I ended up living in a hostel which was cheaper, but I still ran out of money and was forced to live in The Huggard Centre. I stayed there for 3 months until I was offered a room at Ty Gobaith.
I contacted CAVDAS for support and they supported me to go to Pine Ward so I could start alcohol detox. I spent 2 weeks at Pine Ward and met Matt Silva, CAVDAS Peer Support In-Treatment Team Leader. Matt mentioned the volunteering opportunities which CAVDAS offer so I went to their building to find out more. I heard about VAC and was introduced to Maleeha, VAC’s peer mentor. Volunteering with VAC has helped to keep me focused with my recovery. It’s provided me an insight into how recovery services work and some of the challenges that can arise.
PAST REPRESENTATIVES
JODIE DAVIES
I’m Jodie, I have been a VAC Rep for over a year and have been working alongside Hep C Trust since February 2024.
I have had lived experiences of mental health challenges, substance use, relationship conflicts and trauma.
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I was in that cycle from my early childhood and have been in recovery since 2009.
I have 13 years’ experience of peer mentoring and co-run ‘Families supporting families’ groups alongside Barod, ARA (gambling service) and RCT (domestic abuse service).
I also work with the Outreach Team and Hepatology Department from Royal Glamorgan Hospital and Challenge Valley (Christian Rehab).
I also work with local councillors, the RCT Mayor and Tonyrefail Community School, WUST (women social service support groups). I like speaking to residents as hostels i.e. The Huggard and help to collect service user voices for VAC.
I wanted to join VAC because I wanted to help those that needed it. VAC has helped me gain more confidence, excel in learning, training and progress professionally.
Testimonials
Do you want to get involved?
• Are you a carer of someone in service?
• Are you a substance use service provider in Cardiff and the Vale?