Tina Blatchford was born and raised in Herefordshire, England, where she grew up in the picturesque village of Eardisland, a rural community with a population of approximately 400. The youngest of four siblings and the only daughter, she considers her early childhood somewhat idyllic. Her family owned a small farm and the combination of village life, family history and a dependency on the land, its harvest and livestock, complete with a pony, formed the basis of Tina’s life-long love of nature.

 

After completing formal education in England Tina moved to Canada in 1986, she worked as a Nanny in Oakville for a family with whom she remains very close. She feels blessed that she was welcomed warmly and is grateful that she was encouraged to engage in community volunteer work and continued education.

 

Tina has diplomas and certificates from Sheridan & Mohawk Colleges and McMaster University in various Human Services, including Police Services (now Police Foundations), Child & Youth Work, Volunteer Management, Non-Profit Leadership, Communications, Fundraising Executive and Board Governance. She considers education and voting a citizen’s civic duty whenever the opportunity arises.

 

Today Tina is the Executive Director of the Children’s Aid Foundation of Halton (CAFH), the fundraising arm of the Halton Children’s Aid Society. Her experience with both organizations spans 30 years in roles that include Summer Camp Counsellor/Manager; Child & Youth Worker; Supervisor of Youth programs; Supervisor of Volunteers and Public Relations; and volunteer roles as a Foster parent, youth mentor and Director of the Board of CAFH; with the last 15 years as the lead of the CAFH.

 

Tina has a passion for youth and believes that the unconditional love shared by family is the most empowering gift of all. “It’s what gives us the confidence to try something and fail, then try again and eventually succeed. This is what we strive to provide for the children and youth we support, a safe and inclusive opportunity to find strengths, a stepping stone to success, and with it the courage to seek adventure.”

 

Speaking of adventures, Tina has had many! Teaching English in Taiwan; planting 23,000 trees in Northern Ontario; a 3 week camping trip across the USA on a Honda Goldwing; Several driving trips to Western Canada, including retracing the steps her Great Uncles (four brothers) took in 1911 to homestead in Humboldt Saskatchewan and participating in the Princess Margaret Foundation’s two-day 60kms “Walk to End Cancer” for 10 years in a row, through which she raised over $30,000.

 

Tina has been a member of our Club for 7 years, and is a Past President. She is a Paul Harris Fellow, presented to her by the Rotary Club of Oakville Trafalgar for her dedication to vulnerable youth.

 

And for some trivia: Tina has also worked as a “Dairy Maid”, a bartender, learned to drive a tractor when she was knee high to a grasshopper, is a campanologist, and won an archery contest when she was 14.

    

Tina is married to Camillo, lives in Stoney Creek and is the proud Step-Mom to two “wicked” stepchildren!

 

Tina’s favourite quote: “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle” Father James Keller.