BREAKING THE CYCLE OF POVERTY
We listen first, act with humility, and walk alongside our communities – using the resources available to us to build resilience, tackle poverty, strengthen systems and reflect God’s love.
Our People
Peter McCann (Senior) - President
Born in Andersonstown Belfast in 1945, Peter met Patricia when he was 16 years old. He has led a colourful life including being asked by Jock Stein to sign for Glasgow Celtic in 1965 before a period in the RAF and raising his 8 children.
Although he spent most of life “scoring goals” for many football teams in England and Northern Ireland, it was in 1985 that he found his true calling in life when he met David “Packie” Hamilton on the side of the road as his life and family were falling apart and David led him to Christ.
From that moment, and thanks to his wife Patricia’s support, his life was no longer about “scoring goals” but all about “saving souls” and he dedicated his life to the communities of Craigavon and Lurgan.
Peter worked with David Hamilton in the Prison Fellowship before volunteering with Drumgor Youth Club and created the Monday Floodlit league; he volunteered at St Vincent de Paul and was asked by George Emerson to start a YMCA in Lurgan which he did and stayed with for many years – it was known as The Well.
Peter dedicated his life to cross-community work, bringing both sides of the communities of Northern Ireland together through sport and God’s love. He has conducted many talks on encouragement with his friend David Hamilton and been involved in Divine Ministry Healing, running more than 20 Alpha courses.
Always known as a great encourager to all he meets, he is still going strong at 81. You will find him singing in the choir at his local church and he’s proud to able to continue giving back to the communities of Lurgan and Craigavon through the GiG foundation. At The Hub in Lurgan you will find him offering anyone who walks in a space for a chat and cup of tea or as he likes to call it “a wee cup of love”.
Patricia McCann - President
Born in Belfast, Patricia McCann qualified as a Children’s nurse in Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast before going on to raise her family of 8 children.
She worked as a classroom assistant in St Brendan’s school to support the family as the children were growing up before doing night classes to get her A-Level Religion, begin her diploma at QUB and retrain as a qualified counsellor.
It’s no mean feat working, raising 8 children and doing night classes all at the same time, and Patricia became a BACP accredited relationship, marriage and guidance counsellor. She worked with Accord for over 10 years and opened her own independent business as a counsellor called “New Horizons” with her faith being central to her guidance.
She moved on to become a supervisor of other counsellors before retiring in 2022 to dedicate all her time to deepening her faith through spiritual guidance, completing a St Ignatius Loyola course and her work with the GIG foundation. She has spent many years working alongside Peter delivering Alpha courses and running local prayer meetings, always with a focus on giving back to her community.
Patricia is a proud mother to her 8 children and thanks God that through the GIG foundation she can give back to the community that helped shape her family.
Lisa McCann - Trustee
Lisa is a proud Stockport native where she grew up on the Bridgehall estate, the daughter of Francis and Dawn Witter and sister of Emma.
After obtaining Advanced GNVQ in Travel and Toursim at college, Lisa worked in Business Travel for most of her career before having two wonderful children Niamh and Caolan. While raising her children, she supported struggling families as a voluntary support worker after completing her level 3 certificate in counselling skills and a volunteering course in family support.
Lisa’s life story took a significant turn when in 2017 she suffered from brain cancer and in an emergency operation to remove her brain tumour she was blessed with an incredible experience through the grace of God, leading to a deepening of her faith and affirming that heaven is real. Since then Lisa has volunteered at Adswood Primary School and in 2025 she became a founder and Trustee of the GIG Foundation through which she hopes to dedicate the rest of her life to working with and helping others.
Peter McCann Junior - Chief Executive Officer
Peter is CEO of the Grown in Grace Foundation. A former professional footballer, Peter went on to spend 15 years as Head Teacher of an alternative school supporting teenagers with complex needs. Through this, he developed a deep understanding of the challenges many vulnerable individuals face, and a passion for helping people rebuild confidence, purpose, and hope.
Peter is a husband, and a father of three young children. He believes strongly in the power of family and community, and senses that God has led him into this role, calling him to give back by supporting communities with care, compassion, and opportunity.
He brings a clear strategic vision to his role, working alongside others to support local organisations and serve the community in a way that reflects the values of the Foundation, seeking to extend grace, bring unity, and create lasting impact.
Catriona Kavanagh - Chief Operating Officer
Catriona is a wife and the mother of three children. She has dedicated more than 30 years to nursing and healthcare. Her career began within the NHS, where she spent 25 years working across a wide range of healthcare environments, progressing into senior leadership roles and ultimately serving at Head of Service level. She then continued her work within the private sector, bringing with her a wealth of clinical, operational, and strategic management experience.
Throughout her life and career, Catriona’s deep-rooted Christian faith has been her foundation and strength. She believes God has walked beside her through every season — including nursing, leadership, family life, and the many challenges and blessings that have shaped her journey both personally and professionally.
Helping people has always been at the centre of Catriona’s life’s work. When asked to step into the role of COO of the GiG Foundation, it felt like a natural continuation of that calling – an opportunity to continue serving and supporting others within the heart of the community itself.
Catriona carries with her decades of lived and professional experience as a nurse and senior leader and as a daughter, mother, and woman of faith. She brings compassion, resilience, wisdom, and strategic leadership to the Foundation, believing she has been prepared “for such a time as this.”
Rachael Wilson - Project Manager
Rachael is a wife and mother of two children. From a young age, she grew up alongside her father at The Well, knowing she wanted to follow in his footsteps. She gained valuable experience working on cross-community and Christian projects in Lurgan Town Hall and was involved in the Mo Mowlam Peace Process initiatives with young adults. The Well played a significant role in shaping Rachael’s passion for working with both children and adults.
During her school years she excelled in netball and her success led her to attend Liverpool Hope University, graduating with a degree in Sports Studies before gaining over 20 years of experience working with children Rachael developed a particular passion for supporting children with special educational needs and autism. To further her expertise, she spent over eight years gaining specialist experience in London before returning to Northern Ireland. During this time, she learned the importance of supporting children and, crucially, walking alongside parents as they navigate the challenges they may face.
Throughout her life, Rachael’s faith journey has been deeply influenced by her parents. Watching her father serve others through The Well with such compassion, encouragement, and love inspired her own relationship with God and shaped her desire to serve others in whatever capacity she could. This commitment led her to become involved in numerous Alpha programmes alongside her family, helping to support and guide others on their own Christian faith journeys. Rachael is looking forward to bringing all of this experience to work in the community of Lurgan and Craigavon as part of the GIG foundation.
Ronan McCann - Trustee
Ronan grew up in Craigavon before moving to Manchester to study law. He spent his career at HF solicitors leading the Counter Fraud Department and later the Business Development Team before becoming CEO and Managing Partner in 2017.
Ronan jumped at the chance to become Trustee at the GIG Foundation in 2025 and believes strongly that, through Peter and Patricia’s example, his family were truly grown in grace. He believes that society is often set up for people to fail and if the foundation can do anything to help even one single person along the way, it will have been a success.
Family Council
- Peter McCann Sr.
- Patricia McCann
- Damian McCann
- Dr Caron McCann
- Tara McCann
- Catriona Kavanagh
- Dominic McCann
- Ronan McCann
- Lisa McCann
- Niamh McCann
- Caolan McCann
- Peter McCann Jr.
- Rachael Wilson
- Patsy Hoey
