CITMA Benevolent Fund appoints three new trustees
We have welcomed three new trustees to the board for our Benevolent Fund, a charity which supports our members and their families in times of financial hardship.
Originally founded in 2010 by a passionate group of members, the board has since taken forward the CITMA Benevolent Fund. They ensure support remains in place for members of the trade mark profession and their families during times of financial hardship.
Get to know your new trustees
Our board of trustees handle each application and are extremely passionate about the support the Fund provides, playing an important role in its development.
We are excited to welcome our new trustees to the board, Laurissa Abdull (CITMA Paralegal), Mark Gardiner (CITMA Paralegal) and Dan Head (Chartered Trade Mark Attorney).
Find out more about them and what led them to be involved with the Fund:
Laurissa Abdull
Laurissa is a Brand Protection Paralegal at Reckitt, and has worked across a variety of subject areas, including large scale recordal projects containing over 15,000 trade marks.
She is also an active CITMA member, being part of the Paralegal Competency Framework Working Group and participating in the CITMA mentoring programme.
Speaking about her pathway into trade marks, Laurissa said, “After completing my law degree I was introduced to IP and since then my passion for the subject area has continued to grow.
“Trade mark law is a continuously evolving area of law – it is both demanding and exciting.”
Laurissa is a compassionate and committed individual, explaining that she is very much driven by making a difference. She said, “I was very keen to be part of the Benevolent Fund, as it would enable me to offer my experience and make a difference by supporting others in a professional capacity, as well as a social capacity.”
She added, “I was also keen to enhance the exposure and engagement of the Fund to Paralegals.”
Laurissa reflected on the support network the Fund can provide, saying, “By supporting people who may experience financial difficulty, it ensures everyone has the opportunity to pursue their dreams in the profession.”
Mark Gardiner
Mark works for Baker McKenzie’s Global Services Centre in Belfast. Specialising in legal and project management support, he handles a variety of IP workstreams and manages a team of IP Paralegals and specialists.
Speaking candidly about his journey to working in IP, he described the route he took as “non-traditional”, with personal and family circumstances preventing him from attending secondary school in full. He continued, “At 17, with the support of my local college and the King’s Trust, I began catching up on my secondary education. It was a long road, but this all eventually led to my graduation from Ulster University with a degree in Law with Politics.”
With some background knowledge of the support the Fund offers, Mark was eager to contribute to its growth, and said he was “immediately interested” in the opportunity.
Being able to support members when they need it most was an incredibly important aspect for Mark, “The board recognises that members at all levels may face unexpected hardships, especially in these uncertain times.”
Highlighting the impact the Fund can have, he added, “You only need to look at previous examples of the Fund’s support to understand how important it is. Such examples include, helping cover the cost of urgent medical treatment for a child and providing support for a refugee from Ukraine.”
Dan Head
Having started out in the IP industry in 2001, Dan largely worked as a Paralegal until 2015. He was then taken on as a trainee at Sheridans, where he now works as a Trade Mark Attorney.
His day-to-day duties include managing trade mark portfolios for leading multinational corporations and advising on design protection and copyright matters.
Having experienced difficult circumstances himself, Dan was compelled to get involved with the Fund. He said, “I lost my wife last year, so I wanted to be able to help people that are in a similar position.”
He added, “Sometimes life events occur that are out of our control, and having some financial support during tough periods can help to ease the stress associated with these difficult times.”
The full group of trustees includes:
- Mike Knight (Chair)
- Laurissa Abdull
- Nicki Alvey
- Keven Bader
- Mark Foreman
- Mark Gardiner
- Keith Havelock
- Dan Head
- Chris McLeod
How can I access the Fund?
The Fund was created to help members of CITMA, their families and CITMA staff in cases where alternative sources of support, such as employers or social services, are unable to help further.
It ensures that short-term financial support is available, in the form of either a grant or a loan, during the times when you need it most.
Applications for support are straightforward and treated with strict confidentiality. You will be required to send your request in writing, including details of the assistance already provided by others, the amount you are seeking and when you need it by.
How can I support the Fund?
The Fund relies on generous donations and money raised through fantastic fundraising activities, such as our annual quiz evening.
We are very grateful for every donation we receive but to ensure that we can continue to provide this vital support, we always need more contributions.
You and your firm can contribute to the Fund, and you will also benefit from the tax relief provided via ‘Gift Aid’. For every £1 donated we can claim a further 25p.
For more information on your trustees, how to make an application or how to donate to the Fund, view the Benevolent Fund page here. You can also contact Mike Knight, Chair of the fund, directly at [email protected].