Established in 2006 in the North East of England, I offer a specialist consultancy service in Community Development, Health and Regeneration. With over fourteen years working in Community Development and Health in the Community, Voluntary and Statutory sectors, I have extensive experience of bringing communities and agencies together through targeted interventions and partnership working.
I have direct and recent experience of working in 3 main areas:
Training - designing and delivering training programmes for both community activists and professionals in community work, community development and health, health inequalities, facilitation skills, collaborative and partnership working and organisational development.
Research - undertaking research and report writing around community, health and urban regeneration issues. Substantial experience working with geographic and identity-based communities
Development - Supporting organisations and networks to review, evaluate, plan and deliver their services more effectively. Expertise in developing partnership approaches and promoting collaborative working
Background
I have developed skills that enable me to work at various levels and across different sectors: from designing and delivering accredited training courses, to strategic and project management of innovative and award winning community organisations; from ‘hands on’ neighbourhood community work to the development of multi-layered community and health networks. My key skills and experience include:
- Specialist expertise in designing and delivering training programmes for local residents, community workers and NHS staff on Community Development and Health.
- Coordination and project management of an innovative Community Development and Health Link Worker scheme. Substantial experience of recruitment, staff management, appraisals and assessment.
- Senior Manager responsible for strategic development of a NHS Beacon Status Healthy Living Centre.
- Project management of a million pound programme of healthy living activities in Newcastle. Substantial experience of supporting community groups around capacity-building, fundraising, organisational development and partnership working with other groups and agencies.
- Specialist expertise in developing and supporting an NHS award-winning community action network, giving communities a greater say in health engagement strategy for local Primary Care Group.
- Considerable experience of supporting Black and Minority Ethnic communities around Social Inclusion, Physical Activity and Mental Health.
- A number of years direct development work, supporting, developing and evaluating community projects including: Community Food Initiatives e.g. Food Co-op, Healthy Tuck Shops and Community Cafes, Playgroups, Transport projects and Community Enterprise schemes.
- Presentations at national and international Community Development and Public Health conferences.
- Qualifications include: D32/33 NVQ Assessor (2005), Certificate in Youth and Community Work (1996) Certificate in Teaching Adult and Further Education(1995), MA ‘History of Ideas’ University of Northumbria (1994).
- Member of 'The Social Research Association'
Recent and Current Work
Organisation: Walker Riverside Regeneration - Newcastle upon Tyne Health Research Topic Manager for the Walker Riverside Regeneration Community Focus, looking at opportunities for Health Developments as part of a major regeneration scheme.
Organisation: Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Strategic Health Authority/CWACNEE (Health Trainers) Designing and delivering training for NHS Health Trainers in Community Development, Health Inequalities and Facilitation Skills.
Organisation: Lemington Children's Centre - Newcastle upon Tyne Supporting Lemington Children's Centre to develop an organisational Work Delivery Plan and Performance Management Framework.
Organisation: Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Strategic Health Authority (Delivering Race Equality in Mental Health) Supporting the Chinese Community in Newcastle to stage a National Chinese Mental Health Conference, writing a conference report and developing a strategic approach to engage with service providers.
Organisation: West End Health Resource Centre West End Community Development Consortium - Newcastle Training and Network Development for an NRF funded approach to strengthening community and voluntary sector infrastructure in West Newcastle.