The Capability Company
Experienced consultant, facilitator and trainer, drawing on a substantial history of management, leadership and activism in the voluntary sector.
Flexible services responsive to the changing nature of charities and voluntary action, with wide variety of practical support to diversity of organisations.
Knowledgeable about changing context and local and national perspectives such as shift from grants to commissioning.
Working to make a difference, with a commitment to engagement, diversity and equalities. Creative, strategic, diplomatic and flexible.
This includes:
I mainly work with small and medium sized local, regional and national organisations and have particular experience of working in the fields of voluntary sector infrastructure, women’s organisations, criminal justice, disability, and rural communities.
Quaker Peace and Social Witness; Women’s Aid Integrated Services; Welsh Women’s Aid; Women’s Resource Centre; Reading Borough Council; Rape Crisis; Survivors Trust; Thames Valley Partnership; Cardiff Women’s Aid; The Sue Lambert Trust: Escaping Victimhood; National Probation Service; West Berkshire Local Strategic Partnership; Brighton and Hove City Council; Cambridge Women’s Aid; Luton Women’s Aid; Basingstoke Counselling Service; Women’s Aid England; The Tywi Project; Adoption UK; Winchester Youth Counselling; Berkshire Community Foundation; OPAAL; People to Places; Family Friends; Bracknell CAB; Impetus; Growing Against Violence; Berkshire Women’s Aid; Oxfordshire County Council; Slough Refugee Support; Community Council for Berkshire; Community Impact Bucks; Cambridge Women’s Aid; Gloucestershire Rape Crisis; Ditton Park School; Cambridge and Peterborough Women’s Consortium; Surviving Economic Abuse; Autangel; Brighton Oasis Project: Leeway Women’s Aid; Oxford Community Music; Reading City of Sanctuary; Cambridge Women’s Resources Centre; Enfield Muslim Women’s Aid; Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey.
A long history of working in the voluntary and community sector, as CEO, activist, trustee, Chair, facilitator, consultant, convenor. Regular attendance at national and local conferences and seminars, plus ongoing training to stay at the cutting edge of understanding and develop new skills.
Lead convenor of Consultants For Good; member of EUConsult.
Facilitation: Have designed and delivered 100+ facilitated events, including away days for senior teams, whole organisations, and partnerships, networks and consortia, designed to help organisations pool their knowledge, think differently, plan for the future. Also focus groups to consult beneficiaries and other stakeholders.
Conferences: Organised and chaired participatory conferences on Diversity, Parish Planning, Heritage Building, Women and Criminal Justice.
Chairing: Employed as external Chair for local and national conferences and seminars on wide range of topics including violence against women and girls, mental health, local activism.
Development Consultancy: set up Circles UK, the federal body for Circles of Support and Accountability, and Escaping Victimhood, working with people bereaved by murder (also provided interim management). Supported Growing Against Violence to set up as independent charity.
Capacity building: often with smaller organisations to develop systems and policies, organisational reviews.
Consortia and partnerships: designing structures, facilitating for greater understanding, coordinating funding bids.
Fundraising: Have raised millions for various organisations; helping to build capacity in smaller organisations to develop income generation to sustain themselves in difficult times.
Training: meetings skills, fundraising, strategic planning, governance, facilitation, partnerships and how to change the world.
Governance; board development, good practice.
Strategic and business planning: from pinning down values and mission to setting out specific goals and timetables.
Coaching: NLP coach for many years. supporting CEO’s and Chairs.
Evaluation, research and reporting, including guidance on commissioning and procurement.
Currently Chair of Reading Voluntary Action, Lead Convenor Consultants for Good, Chair Streatley Parish Plan Group, plus other voluntary commitments.
Have been CEO of Berkshire Women’s Aid and Programme Director for Common Purpose.