Staff and Trustees

    Name: Reverend June Hurn

    Title: Trustee

    Department: Board of Trustees

    Location: Kent

    Rev. June Hurn is one of the charity's active and long-term supporters and trustees, was born in the United States, however, has spent most of her life and career in the UK. She was a teacher and is now a Governor at her local Marjorie McClure Special School for Physical Development and was very active in the Riding for the Disabled Association. Her husband, Bruce Hurn, a retired H.M.I., died in 2020. He was a popular and talented artist who generously promoted and supported Children in Distress through the sale of his paintings. June is a loving mother of 4 doting children, a grandmother of 8 and now a great grandmother of 3. June’s association with Children in Distress dates back to the charity’s original founding.

    Name: Maria Cristina Mitu

    Title: Trustee

    Department: Board of Trustees

    Location: Beaconsfield

    Maria Cristina Mitu is head of UK and EU practice at McAllister Olivarius. An experienced solicitor with a background in both Romanian and English law, Maria is qualified in both jurisdictions. At McAllister Olivarius, Maria focuses on business and corporate clients. Maria is also the Managing Partner of Mitu & Asociatii, a Romanian law firm based in Bucharest with a focus on commercial advice and litigation, corporate law, and corporate immigration. She has considerable experience helping Romanian companies do business in England and vice versa.

    Name: Valentina Zaharia Smith

    Title: President Children in Distress Romania

    Department: Copii in Dificultate

    Location: Romania

    Email: vali@cid.org.ro

    Valentina is a graduate in social work from the Theological Faculty of the prestigious University of Bucharest, and joined Children in Distress in 1998 to lead the Charity's 'Street Children' project. She also holds a master’s degree in Third Sector Management from Sheffield University. Vali is the powerhouse and inspiration for many of CID's projects and programmes delivered from St Margaret's Centre for Children's Care Services and the Foundation’s transition to a new family house, Casa Maria, part of a new vision for the future of the charity. In her wider role as Executive Director CID Romania, she was instrumental in achieving full registration from the National Authority for Child Protection for all of Copii in Dificultate's projects and she organised the Charity's acclaimed International Autism Conference programme.

    Name: Tina Connelly

    Title: Operations Manager

    Department: Head Office

    Location: Glasgow

    Email: tina.connelly@childrenindistress.org.uk

    Tel: 0141 559 5690

    Tina joined Children In Distress in September 2015 and she leads the UK team, working directly with the Board of Trustees. Previously, Tina’s career has included working in the banking industry and with social work services. In her most recent post, she spent seven years as an administrator for another community-based children’s charity near her home in Glasgow. She has bought a wealth of knowledge in administrations and is blessed with a high attention to detail and is never deterred from learning the operations of new computer software.

    Name: Lesleyann Connelly

    Title: Administration/Fundraising Officer

    Department: Head Office

    Location: Glasgow

    Email: lesleyann.connelly@childrenindistress.org.uk

    Tel: 0141 559 5690

    Lesleyann has years of experience within childcare and is up to date with the UK’s standards in child protection and education. Lesleyann has always had an interest in fundraising. As well as years of childcare experience, she has lots of contacts within the local community and has encouraged many of her friends, family and contacts to support Children in Distress.
    Page 1 Page 2 Page 3