Meet our Helpline Award judges 2025
Meet our Helpline Award judges 2025
We are delighted to introduce the brilliant panel of judges for this year’s Helpline Awards.
With a wide range of skills, insights and experience, they’ll be bringing a thoughtful and thorough approach to the judging process.
We are excited to have them as part of our awards and can’t wait to celebrate the incredible work happening across the sector.
Faye Blackwell
Faye Blackwell is Head of Engagement and Development at the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). With over 20 years’ experience as a counsellor and over 30 years as a volunteer, Faye is now responsible for building relationships and supporting a wide variety of individuals and organisations working in mental health and wellbeing across the UK.
Her belief in the concept of community and people-power fuels a passion for bringing people together with a shared purpose, supporting the vulnerable and improving outcomes for all, regardless of background.
Allison Furlong
Allison is the founder and CEO of Alfie’s Squad, a charity she established alongside her son after they tragically lost his dad to suicide. When support for young people like Alfie was nowhere to be found, he began fundraising to make sure no other child would feel as alone as he did. Inspired by his courage, Allison is dedicated to turning his vision into something special, where families facing the same kind of grief, have access to vital support.
As the only group of its kind in the UK, Alfie’s Squad provides peer support for children and their families who have lost a loved one to suicide. Through fun and engaging activities, young members get the chance to build friendships and confidence with others who know what they’re going through. Allison is working to enhance the offer from Alfie's Squad, to help reach even more families across the wider North West and beyond.
In 2023, Allison was named Merseyside Woman of the Year for ‘Woman of Courage’, and under her direction, the charity was recently honoured to receive the ‘Mental Health Changemakers’ title at the Liverpool Community Impact Awards.
As a judge for the Helpline Professionals Awards, Allison not only brings lived experience, but a heartfelt commitment to the power of support, at the very moment it’s needed most.
Mark Morton
Mark is an experienced digital manager with a 25-year career in the charity sector, including 20 years at Epilepsy Action. Throughout his career, he has worked closely with health charity helplines, developing digital services that support and strengthen the vital work of frontline teams.
Mark has witnessed and shaped the evolution of digital support, helping to make online services more accessible, responsive and user-focused. With a deep understanding of user needs—especially in sensitive health contexts—he combines technical expertise in web development, SEO and content strategy with a strong commitment to making a real difference in people’s lives.
Wendy Robinson
Wendy Robinson is the Director of Services for suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably, where she is responsible for service development and the delivery of CALM’S lifesaving helpline and digital support services.
A qualified therapist with a Masters in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and qualifications in play therapy and systemic practice, Wendy has worked in frontline, strategic and leadership roles for a range of charities including the NSPCC, and Childline, where she led a 24/7 helpline operation with a 12-site national workforce of over 400 professional staff and 2000 volunteers.
Wendy has 25 years of experience in the field of support services across family support, child protection and safeguarding, mental health and wellbeing, resilience, substance misuse, DVA, suicide intervention and is passionate about quality helpline practice and effective strengths-based support.