Skills and experience

In these uncertain times, #TheCoopWay is creating a feeling of solidarity within communities, therefore it would be a privilege to serve on the Members’ Council. I would, as a member of the Co-op Council seek to broaden the reach and impact of the Co-op so that more communities benefit from #TheCoopWay and have a stake in their local economy. I stand as a guardian of the #TheCoopWay, valuing principles more than profit.

Additional information

I grew up in Tamworth and even now, I still remember our dividend number. I enjoyed a Saturday job in the Co-op department store, and my Dad has been a member of the Co-op for 58 years attending the Co-op College so all my life we have had discussions about the principles of the Co-op Pioneers. The values of #TheCoopWay strike a chord with me, and have a synergy to the 17 years I have spent working with various communities and voluntary groups across the UK. In January 2015, I founded Safe Innovation Projects (www.safeinnovationprojects.com) to provide project management, consultancy and training across sectors in order to address the root causes of many issues such as youth violence, exploitation and modern slavery: poverty, inequalities and trauma.

In November 2012, I was certified by the Home Office and accredited by the Local Government Association as a Peer Reviewer for the Ending Gangs and Youth Violence programme. This has given me a unique understanding of governance structures and the need for transparency and accountability within the decision making process. This also involved ensuring the needs of the community were reflected in business planning and performance management procedures.

In Liverpool, for Interserve, Catch22 and ClubFinance I project managed a £10 million bid for the "Business Impact Challenge" to Big Society Capital to enable voluntary and community groups to access more commissioning opportunities. I led on consultations with the community groups, social enterprises and the Council's statutory boards. I project managed the successful application for a Finance for the Future Award aligning to the UN sustainable development goals.

I am committed to lifelong learning, I qualified as a Prince 2 Practitioner in 2012 and paid my own course fees to become part of the Association of Project Managers in 2015. I am currently completing a BTEC level 4 in Education and Training and as part of the offer from Safe Innovation Projects, I have developed and marketed via social media my own training, "Dynamic Safeguarding" and "Project Management in the Age of Efficiency Savings".

In January 2017, I developed an Equalities Health Check for Change Grow Live, the largest Social Care provider in Europe, who wanted to 'health check' the extent to which the vision and values of the organisation in relation to Black and Asian Communities, were consistently applied by the leadership team across the charity. The process primarily involved interviews with the Executive Management Team and BAME staff, analysing business plans as well as recruitment and retention procedures, resulting in a high level report providing practical recommendations in relation to the diversity and social justice agenda.

TheCoopWay of putting its members and the local community at the heart of its business principles make the Co-op a fantastic thought leader in how we create a more democratic and equitable version of capitalism. In my role as a Member of the Council, I would uphold the Co-op's ethics and promote the Society's principles and values to make happier, more equal and stronger communities.