About me
My purpose is to support and guide charity leaders, managers and their teams through planning and implementing strategic change. I take on roles as strategist, planner, consultant, facilitator, analyst, director, trustee, project manager, interim and critical friend…
I bring these strengths to all my work:
- A commitment to your charitable or social purpose
- An outcomes focused approach
- A passion for looking ahead to the future: strategic thinking for social impact
- A structured but creative approach
- Analytical and facilitation skills to support stakeholder engagement, collaboration and co-design
- Pragmatism combined with continuous learning and innovation
I also like data analysis and spreadsheets more than a lot of people.
I am based on the south coast in Worthing, West Sussex, with easy access to London.
Portrait photography by Imogen Palmer.
When I work with you, I make your purpose my purpose.
I grew up in Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders. In my family, volunteering in the local community and supporting development of social enterprise was an everyday feature of life.
As a postgraduate student at Leeds University I became a regular volunteer for their “recording centre” for students with disabilities, run in partnership with RNIB. Later I returned there for my first full time charity job, recruiting and training volunteers and coordinating the studio schedule to involve up to 150 volunteers every week. I loved it, and felt passionate about how to keep improving effectiveness to make a bigger impact on people’s lives. I realised that the world of charities was the one I really wanted to stay in.
So I did.
Since then, I have developed a deep understanding of all aspects of running charitable organisations, underpinned by a specialist charity Masters level education in finance, law, strategy, management, marketing and fundraising.
I now have over 30 years’ experience working inside, and with, a vast range of charities and social enterprises as an evaluator, strategist, planner, consultant, facilitator, analyst, director, trustee, project manager, interim and critical friend.
I also have 9 years experience as a Non-Executive Director on NHS Commissioning Boards in West Sussex.
More on my education, training and employment