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The Team
Judith Vickress
Founder & Managing Director
Judith brings over 25 years of experience in the domestic abuse and sexual violence fields, driven by her commitment to eliminate all forms of abuse, particularly male violence against women and girls. After her travels and insights gained through the Churchill Fellowship, Judith has set RiTA to fill a gap she identified- a national organisation focused on enhancing the visibility and status of abuse victims and survivors in rural UK. Judith's background includes operational work in rural communities and strategic national roles, where she has designed and implemented system change initiatives, as well as served on the team at the Office of the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, coordinating national engagement and service mapping.
Emma Storey
Advisory Board Director
Emma has over 20 years of experience in the domestic abuse sector. She has collaborated with survivors and used her knowledge to advocate for change in her local area of Cheshire East where she has been the strategic lead for domestic abuse. Emma has also held several senior positions in national VAWG sector lead organisations. Currently, Emma is the Director of Housing at Standing Together, where she combines her expertise in subject matter, systems, local governance, leadership, and strategic planning with her strong sense of justice and commitment to social purpose to support RiTA.
Nicky Catley
Advisory Board Director
Rhianon Bragg
Associate Expert by Experience
Nicky is a frontline practice expert with two decades of experience in refuge and outreach in rural areas. She lives and understands the realities of rural life and the unique challenges it presents in engaging survivors, collaborating with services, and the obstacles that rural services encounter. It is vital for RiTA to incorporate the insights of rural practitioners to develop resources and initiatives based on what is effective, while acknowledging the additional challenges faced by rural advocates and services compared to their urban counterparts, as emphasised in the Churchill Fellowship research.
Rhianon is a remarkable survivor who is passionately using her lived experience to advocate for meaningful change. By openly sharing her journey through domestic abuse and stalking in rural Wales, she shines a light on the urgent need for systems change. Her story empowers other survivors, encouraging them to believe that they, too, can move forward and thrive after their experiences.
Rhianon is a powerful force for change and will collaborate closely with the team to ensure that RiTA remains centred around the needs of survivors. In her role as an Associate, she will co-create valuable learning and development resources while facilitating engaging learning sessions through the lens of her own inspiring experiences.
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Holly Ringrose
Marketing and Communications Specialist
Holly has worked across a range of charity sectors including homelessness, suicide prevention, and domestic abuse. She has developed and delivered impactful, survivor-informed campaigns that centre lived experience, challenge stigma, and amplify marginalised voices. A skilled creative communicator with a deep commitment to social justice, she founded Unfinished Portraits: Women’s Lives Cut Short, a digital art series dedicated to honouring women lost to domestic homicide. Holly believes in the power of storytelling as a vehicle for systemic change and continues to use her platform to connect, educate, and advocate across the VAWG and wider social justice landscapes. Currently, she is supporting RiTA by bringing its brand and mission to life - developing a strategic communications approach that amplifies its purpose, strengthens engagement, and ensures its values and impact resonate across audiences and systems.