Diana Martin
Diana Martin is currently the Neighbourhood Management Co-ordinator at Salford City Council. This involves managing and developing a city wide partnership system to engage residents in decision making about their neighbourhoods. Salford has achieved national recognition from the Government as an Empowering Authority, and a pilot for Participatory Budgeting - a method of engaging residents directly in the allocation of mainstream funds.
Previously Diana has worked in regeneration programmemes in Salford and Rochdale, promoting partnership work with residents to improve their areas. She has over 30 years experience of community development work which started in Salford but took her to Burnley, and Manchester. Much of this work has been with women; as residents and activists, as parents, and those experiencing physical and emotional abuse. Her work has helped to empower women, provide services which better meet their needs and enable them to play an active role in decision-making.
In her personal life she has played an active role in community and voluntary organisations in her own community. She has established and run activities which her own children have benefited from, as well as some which give her personal pleasure including music and gardening.
Although born in Scotland and brought up in the south of England she has lived all her adult life in Manchester. She lives with her partner and 2 teenage children and enjoys the diverse and vibrant culture of her home city and the challenges of balancing the demands on her time.