Dominic Chad

Born in Exeter, Devon, Chad grew up in Maidstone, Kent[4] where he attended Maidstone Grammar School. Dominic went on to study French and Russian at Bangor University, where he met bassist Mark Howard. They formed the band "Floating Bear" in 1991 with Lance Paine, Pete James and Iain Jenner and released a five-track cassette entitled "Barely Real".[5] The band regularly played at the university's student bar including an Amnesty benefit gig, and also played at Pontardawe Festival.[6]

After being kicked off his degree at the end of the second year,[7] Chad re-located to Chester where he worked as a barman at the Fat Cat Cafe Bar on Watergate Street and met Stove King and Paul Draper, with whom he formed Mansun.[8] Whilst in Mansun, Chad worked as an arranger and songwriter, and co-wrote several of Mansun's songs with Draper as well as writing and performing a number of B-sides himself. He also took lead vocals on some of Mansun's songs, such as "Golden Stone", a B-side to "I Can Only Disappoint U" and a live cover of the Magazine single "Shot by Both Sides".

After nearly eight years together, Mansun broke up in 2003 whilst working on their fourth studio album.[9]

Chad has since gone on to work as a support worker, supporting people with learning difficulties, physical disabilities and brain injuries. [10]From 2005 to 2010, he worked as an ambulance medic in the London Ambulance Service. Chad studied at the Oxford School Of Sports Massage completing their Level 5 BTEC diploma, and also works as a therapist. He also volunteers as a RNLI Lifeboat Crew member in his spare time[11] and in 2016 participated in Team Trailtriker, "4 women and 4 men from the UK aiming to raise as much money for Oxfam whilst raising awareness of those battling cancer and widening awareness of a rare illness called POEMS Syndrome".[12]

Chad also composed and performed the music for the short film 'The Man On The Moor', directed by Cartoon Network his friend Steven Rosam.[13] He has also written and co-written episodes for 'Wussywat The Clumsy Cat', a children's TV show screened on CBeebies from June 2015.[14]

As of 2019, Chad is working as an area manager with people who have learning difficulties. He himself said... [15]

" Until 2003 I was a professional musician - a guitarist in a rock band - but that had run its course and I was looking for a new direction in life. I visited my sister at the SEN school where she worked and saw how much she loved her job! As a result I took a complete career change and became a Support Worker for Mencap. Since then I have also worked as an Ambulance Medic in Central London, volunteered as an RNLI lifeboat crew member, qualified as a Sports Massage Therapist, and I am currently in a Brain Injury Rehabilitation team.

I have always enjoyed working with people, and my greatest source of satisfaction has always been seeing people get more from their lives, fulfil their potential and encounter new challenges and opportunities. When I heard about The Inclusion Project it felt like it would be the best fit for me, and the best opportunity to fulfil my own goals and ambitions. Since joining I have realised that I'm now lucky to be a member of a really brilliant team, and I'm looking forward to meeting my first Participants so that we can achieve great things together.

With my own background as a musician, I am obviously keen to offer my Participants opportunities to engage in activities around the performing arts - music, drama, dance and so on.

I have made some contacts already to be able to offer group music classes and also DJing lessons using the latest digital equipment. I am also keen to offer something very different from the usual activities that are on offer at most day services. I'm keen to create opportunities for Participants to perform useful roles in the community while working on their individual goals at the same time. I have some great ideas around community recycling projects, and also plan to form partnerships with local sports clubs which will offer a variety of potential roles on match days for example.

Active, healthy lifestyle choices will play an important part in The Inclusion Project North Hampshire.

I want Participants in The Inclusion Project North Hampshire to feel not only that they have the power to 'Create Their Own World', but that they will all be playing a part in creating something really brilliant, that challenges us all and that we can all be very proud of!