I have over twenty years’ experience running voluntary sector organisations in London, Liverpool and Manchester. It all started back in 1996 when I set up a theatre company with the idea of taking Shakespeare to young people.
In 2000 I oversaw the building and subsequent development of Valley Community Theatre in Liverpool. Then onto Toxteth TV and am presently the Director of ALL FM; the Community Radio Station of the Year 2019/20.
In leading these organisations a key part of my role was to generate revenue. So by necessity I have become a skilled and successful fundraiser. I put these skills to use at ALL FM and as a freelance fundraiser. Most recently I have worked with Longtown Memorial Hall and Community Centre, the Together Trust, the Revival Hub, Valley Community Theatre and Turnitaround.
I am a specialist practitioner and consultant working across the range of needs communities and voluntary organisations.
I have over 25 years of experience in the sector with extensive knowledge of working with refugee and migrant groups and the organisations that support them.
I work with groups strategically, supporting governance and sustainability, business planning, budgeting and funding and organisational development using Participatory Methods.
I have almost 30 years of operational, management and strategic experience in the public, voluntary and social enterprise sectors.
I have worked for and with small charities, local authorities, housing associations and social enterprises in a variety of roles. In my last role, I lead a team delivering grant giving and support to early stage and established Social Enterprises across the North of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
I have worked with almost 100 social entrepreneurs and social enterprises helping them build their operations and impact.
I’ve spent 27 years learning exactly what makes the voluntary sector tick—and what it takes to make it thrive. I spent my first decade on the ground, transforming a volunteer-led organization into a commercially viable service provider.
I then took that experience to Manchester City Council, where I authored the policies that define how the city supports its communities, from the Manchester Compact to Community Asset Transfers.
After a period in Corporate Property turning those policies into tangible assets for local groups, I’m back where I started: dedicated to strengthening the sector with the strategic insight only a nearly three-decade career can provide.
