Diane Morton

Chair & Operations Director, Diane, retired in 2010 from her role as Group HR Director for Northumbrian Water Group after 28 years in consulting and water utility businesses.

“My greatest focus at work was in the areas of people strategy, leadership and management, occupational health and employee engagement; my Masters dissertation considered organisational values. I also served as a Member of the Employment Tribunal Service in the North East and Cumbria hearing employment cases as part of a judicial team of 3.

My husband Doug and I volunteered for many years as part of Northumbrian Water’s “Just an Hour” volunteering scheme with our first collie “Bob”.  We saw first hand the huge benefits that visiting dog teams bring to people who are no longer able to have their own dogs. We spent 2 hours on a Sunday most weeks making new friends, hearing fascinating stories and watching Bob enjoy lots of cuddles and treats.

I love dogs and have been lucky enough to have always had a dog in my family.  We live in Northumberland with Rufus our black labrador, a rehomed guide dog and Phoebe our tri-colour collie.

I know how much I would personally miss the company of a dog and we were particularly keen to use our professional skills to find a way to enable home visiting with a dog for the elderly safely, a service that was not available either locally or nationally.

So I am delighted to be leading the development of Wag & Company and bringing Visiting Wag Teams to older people across the North East wherever they are, still at home or in care or hospitals; it’s very special.”