Francesca Weinberg joined the board in February 2009 having spent her working life in the public and voluntary sectors. She recently retired after 18 years running the children's charity Friends United Network (FUN), which won the Queen's award for volunteering in 2007. Francesca continues to advise and support a range of charities on strategy, management and fundraising in both the UK and Africa. For the past 13 years she has also run a private counselling practice and has a passionate interest in mental health, mediation and conflict resolution. Francesca is strongly committed to fostering constructive dialogue as an alternative to violence.