The brains behind a successful community-driven development programme has never been afraid of a challenge — especially when it comes to helping people.

But Deborah-Anne Blakeney, the new executive director of charity CDD Bermuda, set up to help unemployed and underemployed people claiming financial assistance, would never describe herself as a hero.

“I just believe that I have to do my best for whatever it is that I am doing,” Ms Blakeney said, “and whatever it is that I am doing is always going to help somebody.

“Anyone that knows me knows that I am service-oriented. I’ve always been the person to fix things — I do that every day anyway.

“I don’t see anything as insurmountable. I use whatever talents I have, in whatever way that I can.”

Under the auspices of the Department of Human Affairs, and together with the Bermuda Women’s Council, Ms Blakeney founded the Government-run Community Driven Development (CDD) programme in 2013 to help to reduce the large number of unemployed and underemployed women. Now a separate charity, CDD Bermuda is expected to take its first male clients soon.

“When we started working with the women, this was just another fix for me,” Ms Blakeney said. “I’m now helping people, the same way I’ve always helped people, it’s just a different group of people.”

Ms Blakeney, the former director of the Department of Human Affairs, was sent to the United Kingdom in 2012 to take a course on community driven development.

The Smith’s resident explained that each participant in the UK course had to create a development plan and that it was her idea to use the programme in Bermuda to help women get off financial assistance.

“My minister and my permanent secretary jumped on it right away when I came back,” the barrister said.

The CDD programme became a charity on April 1 and the organisation’s goal is still to empower participants with the necessary life skills, employability skills, academic and technical education to secure entry-level jobs and no longer require financial assistance.

As executive director of the charity, Ms Blakeney is responsible for acquiring premises, managing the day-to-day operations that include marketing, fundraising and staffing, and relationship and programme development.

She explained that raising funds is one of their main priorities and that one of their initiatives is a colossal raffle, which will be held on July 3.

“I believe that it’s going to be our signature event because there are no major raffles anymore,” Ms Blakeney said.

“Anything we come with is going to be really big. We’re going to be coming with so many different, innovative things.” But the charity is still in its infancy and Ms Blakeney said that she hasn’t had much time to feel proud or excited.

“It took me from day one to the day it became a charity to have it evolve from an idea to 20 women graduating and now I am starting all over again.

“I’m enjoying it, it’s exciting. Some days I feel like ‘wow, what have I taken on?’ and then other days I just say ‘OK, we chip away at that the same way we have chipped away at other challenges’.”

But despite all her hard work, Ms Blakeney prefers to stay behind the scenes.

“My chairman is getting used to the fact that he has an executive director that is not going to be out front,” she said.

She explained that she would rather have him and the ladies “that do all the real hard work” be the centre of attention because she is too busy making sure that all the moving parts are moving. And yet Ms Blakeney always has time for her “ladies” and said that seeing them be successful, not only in the programme but in life, is the most rewarding thing.

She added: “Even if I wasn’t as successful as I hoped to be with particular people, what makes me happy is that they still respect me and they understand why.”

Ms Blakeney said: “I respect them for coming, doing it successfully and moving on with their lives.

“They see me as the person that initiated this, and they are happy that there is a Deborah that thought about this and made it possible for them.”

• For more information on CDD Bermuda or to make a donation e-mail Ms Blakeney at dablakeney@live.com or call 296-0609.

• Do you know an Unsung Hero who deserves recognition? Call Lisa on 278-0137 or e-mail lsimpson@royalgazette.com