EATA Staff

Sharon Carson

Chief Executive

Sharon joined EATA in 2006 as Chief Executive, having worked with a Primary Care Trust where she commissioned sexual health and HIV services. Prior to her commissioning role, she set up a Tier 2 drug and alcohol service, and before that, worked in a residential setting. As a result, Sharon brings a useful range of experiences to the organisation. Working within the NHS not only taught her how commissioning works; it also helped give her knowledge of what working for a statutory sector organisation entails. It is with this experience and that of working within the voluntary sector that she understands the differences and difficulties that arise across and between the sectors.

An important part of her remit at EATA is to negotiate with the Department of Health, Home Office and National Treatment Agency to keep treatment services high on the agenda and ensure that the treatment sector is listened to. She also aims to ensure that EATA plays a very practical role in helping members deal with with the uncertainty of looming changes in drug strategy, at a time of competing priorities for all treatment providers; advising on systems and practice, by consulting with members and by contributing to national groups and panels representing the sector.

Tel 020 7553 9580 | Fax 020 7253 7991 | sharoncarson@eata.org.uk

Ghada Osman

Membership Services Officer

Ghada joined EATA in 2005. She is responsible for EATA's membership services, which encompasses a variety of activities such as attracting new members, implementing and developing new services and communicating with EATA's members to ensure that their needs are being recognised.

After completing a degree in Chemical Engineering at University College London, Ghada went on to study for Masters in Environment and Development at Kings College London.  After an internship at the United Nations Ghada became interested in policy work within the independent and voluntary
sector, and started working within charities, She gained a range of experience working for organisations such as OneWorld and WaterAid.

Her main priorities are delivering membership services and identifying gaps within services and looking at where EATA members can be involved in shaping and influencing current policy.

Tel 020 7553 9580 | Fax 020 7253 7991 | ghada@eata.org.uk

Rachel Clarke

Communcations and Development Officer

Rachel has worked in media and communications for 10 years, after completing her degree in Politics and History at Salford University. She first dipped her toe in the media sector as a journalist for several regional news outlets in the North West and in London. After completing a MSc in Science, Culture and Environment at Birkbeck University, while working at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Rachel took up the post of External Communications Officer for the Institute of Physics. Here she consolidated her communications and marketing skills, while also learning how to perform physics tricks, such as the alka skelter rocket and balloon kebabs.

Her main priorities at EATA is to raise awareness of the organisation, as well as the concerns and needs of the treatment sector, among a wide range of audiences including the media and government bodies.

Tel 18002 020 7553 9583 (you will be put through to a textdirect operator) | Fax 020 7253 7991 | rachelclarke@eata.org.uk