LLA Leaders’ breakfast

Bex Wilson is a dedicated educator and the founder of Zarach, a charity committed to eradicating bed poverty in England. In 2017, while serving as a teacher at Shakespeare Primary School, Bex learned that instead of a bed, a child was sharing a bedbug-infested sofa cushion with two siblings.

This revelation highlighted the severe impact of inadequate sleep on children’s well-being and academic potential. Motivated by this experience, Bex established Zarach to provide children in need with essential bed bundles, including beds, mattresses, bedding, and pyjamas. Since its inception, Zarach has delivered beds to over 12,000 children across Yorkshire and expanded its operations to multiple cities, partnering with more than 500 schools and community organisations.

Bex has enjoyed 16 years at Shakespeare Primary School and has held a variety of different roles. Her leadership encompasses assessment, curriculum development and community engagement. Teaching in the same community where she grew up has deepened her understanding of the challenges posed by poverty, but also led to daily discoveries of the brilliance, tenacity and incredible aspiration of the children and families she serves.

Debbie Watters has been involved in justice work, peace building, reconciliation, youth work and restorative practice for the past 35 years. She is a founding member of the first community-based restorative justice programme in Northern Ireland, of which she is currently the Co-Director.

Debbie has provided training, consultancy, presentations and lectures at a local, regional, and international level, and currently works extensively in Israel and Palestine. She is the former Vice Chair of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, having served as an independent member for 9 years.

She has worked widely during the past 30 years to empower women and grassroots communities to ensure their voices are at the centre of peacebuilding, conflict transformation, and post-conflict rebuilding. She currently serves as a Visiting Professor at Ulster University, is Chair of the Restorative Justice Council UK, and has recently been awarded an OBE for her services to peacebuilding and restorative justice.