Conference Speakers
Click the session below to explore the speaker profiles
- 10:15 Opening Panel – Facing the Future: Together
- 11:00 Creating Inclusive Community Businesses: A Rural Perspective
- 11:45 Social Impact Story: An Interview with… Jodie Barwick-Bell, The Bank @ Chopwell
- 12:00 The Road to Net Zero: Community Businesses as Climate Champions
- 13:30 Social Impact Story: An Interview with… Lenny Watson, Sister Midnight
- 13:45 Trends, Challenges and Opportunities: Retail and Hospitality
- 14:45 Ask the Funder: How to Successfully Attract Grant Funding
- 15:30 Social Impact Story: An Interview with… Neil Truphet, Amberley Shop on the Common
- 15:45 Keynote: Adam Henson
Opening panel: Facing the Future: Together
James Alcock
Chief Executive, Plunkett Foundation
Dame Caroline Mason
Chief Executive, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
Before joining Esmée, Caroline was Chief Operating Officer at Big Society Capital and preceding that, Charity Bank. Caroline was also the co-founder of Investing for Good, a social investment advisory firm and one of the first Community Interest Companies. Before joining the social sector, Caroline had an eighteen-year track record of creative and innovative product development in the financial services sector. With Reuters, she managed the global development of real-time news and television services and then pioneered the introduction of web technology products. She also had her own consulting company, working with several financial institutions to develop new business and products including an electronic brokering service and a global wealth management business for a private bank.
Caroline is a Board Member of the Environment Agency, a Board Member of the Impact Investing Institute, and Chair of the Foundations Forum.
Rose Marley
Chief Executive, Cooperatives UK
Rose is renowned for her ability to galvanise community action, not least in leading Manchester City Council’s response to the Manchester arena attack, leading a global broadcast of choirs singing from the steps of the town hall on the first anniversary.
Rose joined Co-operatives UK as CEO in January 2021 and has ambitious plans to raise the awareness and growth of the co-operative sector in the UK.
Mark Purvis
Deputy Director, England, National Lottery Community Fund
As a Deputy Director at the National Lottery Community Fund, the biggest community funder in the UK, I lead funding delivery to enable communities to thrive.
With 20 years’ experience in grant making my role over the last few years has predominantly involved leading the transition to a more community focused set up, so that funding teams better understand the communities they serve by being part of them. As a result, I have an interest in philanthropic and leadership thinking to support funding teams and the communities they work with, and have attended and contributed to various events exploring these subjects.
Tim Davies-Pugh
Chief Executive, Power to Change
Tim is the Chief Executive of Power to Change, the independent trust established in 2015 that strengthens communities through community business. Tim joined Power to Change in 2021 as the Director of Strategy and Programmes, having previous held senior roles at the National Lottery Community Fund, Office for Civil Society, Numbers for Good and as a Director of GLT partners a social sector consultancy.
Tim is a Board member of the SAFE Foundation and has previously held board positions at UnLtd, where he chaired their awards committee and Virgin Money Foundation.
Panel 2: Creating Inclusive Community Business: A Rural Perspective
Claire Spendley
Head of Community Business, Plunkett Foundation (Panel chair)
Woosh Raza (he/him/his)
Director of People, Culture and Inclusion, NCVO
Woosh Raza currently works as Director of People, Culture & Inclusion at NCVO. NCVO is the membership community for charities, voluntary organisations and communities groups in England, supporting over 17,000 charities. Woosh is a prolific campaigner in Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging, and runs how own consultancy on ED&I, Woosh Ltd. A chartered member of the CIPD, Woosh currently co-chairs the Central London Committee, looking after 4500 HR professionals working and/or living in the capital.
Imandeep Kaur
Co-founder and Director, CIVIC SQUARE
Immy is a Co – Founder and Director of CIVIC SQUARE, which is a public square, neighbourhood lab, and creative + participatory platform focused on regenerative civic and social infrastructure within neighbourhoods. Immy is part of a creative and dynamic leadership team who work alongside the local neighbourhood, to offer a bold approach to visioning, building and investing in civic infrastructure for neighbourhoods of the future.
Immy is also an active member of Project 00 and is part of the Doughnut Economics Action Lab Advisory Team, A Birmingham Hippodrome Trustee. A Birmingham Open Media (BOM) Board Member and an Inclusive Economy Partnership Board Champion. Immy is on the National Lottery Community Fund Advisory Board and was a founding director of Impact Hub Birmingham, which was open between 2015 – 2019. Impact Hub Birmingham was on a mission to help build a fairer more equal and just city, through people place and open movements. On a voluntary basis, Immy also led and ran TEDxBRUM between 2012 and 2017.
Immy’s work has been recognised with a series of notable honours and awards. In 2018, Impact Hub Birmingham was named a NESTA New Radical. For her services to the city of Birmingham, Aston University’s School of Life & Health Sciences granted Immy an Honorary Doctorate in 2019. And in 2020, Immy was awarded a prestigious Ashoka Fellowship.
Richard Allen
Director of The Swan Clewer CIC and CEO of the Green Room Foundation
Tilly Goodwin
The Auctioneer Arms, Caverswall
Social Impact Story: An Interview with… Jodie Barwick-Bell, The Bank @ Chopwell
Susie Middleton
Project Manager, Plunkett Foundation (Interviewer)
Jodie Barwick-Bell
The Bank @ Chopwell
Jodie Barwick-Bell will share the story of how the award-winning Chopwell Regeneration Group successfully transformed a former bank into a thriving community hub; and tell us about the wide range of services and activities they offer.
Panel 3: The Road to Net Zero: Community Businesses as Climate Champions
Helen Aldis
Chief Executive of Moor Trees and Plunkett Foundation Trustee (Session chair)
Graham Duxbury
Chief Executive, Groundwork UK
He has contributed to a wide range of Government and voluntary sector groups and task forces on subjects including parks and green spaces, access to nature, youth employment, fuel poverty and community empowerment. Prior to joining Groundwork as a press officer in 1998, Graham worked in communications and public engagement roles in a national visual impairment charity and for local authorities in Lancashire and West Yorkshire. He was awarded an OBE for services to communities and the environment in 2020.
Janine Michael
Centre for Sustainable Energy
In 2002 Janine set up the Community Action for Energy network, which later became the Green Communities network – supporting communities across the UK to deliver energy and environmental action projects. In 2012 she designed and ran Bristol Switch and Save, the city’s first collective buying scheme for energy.
She has an MSc in Energy Conservation and the Environment from Cranfield University, and a BSc in Maths from the University of Bristol. She is also a non-executive Director of a community-benefit society where she lives in the Forest of Dean which has developed and owns two 500KW wind turbines.
Josie Cadwallader-Hughes
Sustainability Director, Thakeham
Thakeham are strategic land promoters, building private and affordable homes across the South-East. On their flagship scheme, Woodgate, they have been working with the Plunkett Foundation to creating a thriving Community Hub.
As Sustainability Director at Thakeham Group, Josie is responsible for keeping Thakeham at the leading edge, building partnerships with distinguished organisations with a long history of championing change, and advising on a number of cross-industry programmes enabling zero carbon place making.
Sam Ross
Farmborough Community Shop
Sam Ross is a local councillor and community and environment champion, working with clients, communities, and local government authorities to improve the environment, promote good practice, and develop pride of place.
Currently the secretary of Farmborough Community Shop, Sam was a founding member of the original steering group that worked through the highs and lows over many years to set up this community shop in her home village. The shop was recognised by BathNES Council as an important community hub during Covid and has also been recognised for the Plunkett Foundation with an Environment Award for its improvements around energy efficiency and plastic waste reduction.
Passionate about both rural communities and the environment, Sam sits on the Plunkett Foundation Membership Panel and is also a Trustee of WERN (the West of England Rural Network), which aims to tackle the issues surrounding social isolation and rural poverty in the rural areas around Bath, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Bristol.
Social Impact Story: An Interview with… Lenny Watson, Sister Midnight
Diane Cameron
Project Manager, Plunkett Foundation (Interviewer)
Lenny Watson
Sister Midnight
With Lenny Watson from Sister Midnight, we’ll hear about the group’s campaign to create the first community-owned music venue in Lewisham, including the ups and downs of trying to secure premises and raise funds.
Plenary: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities: Retail and Hospitality
Harriett English
Head of Engagement, Plunkett Foundation (Panel Chair)
James Lowman
Chief Executive, Association of Convenience Stores
James was appointed ACS Chief Executive in November 2006. He has led ACS on political and policy representation, driven a unique research programme that informs ACS’ policy work, launched an industry-leading assured advice scheme in partnership with Surrey County Council, and created a new and unique events programme. James is a member of ministerial advisory groups including the National Retail Crime Steering Group and the Retail Sector Council. He also sits on the boards of Community Alcohol Partnerships, the Proof of Age Standards Scheme and the London Food Board, and is a sector leader representative to the High Streets Task Force.
Emma McClarkin OBE
Chief Executive, British Beer and Pub Association
Emma has been the Chief Executive of the British Beer and Pub Association since 2019 and was recently awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) award for her exceptional services to the hospitality industry.
A passionate beer and pub lover, Emma is the voice for the beer and pub sector leading them through the pandemic, interfacing with Government and stakeholders to secure vital grant support and economic stimulus to aid the recovery of the Sector. Protecting the future of the Great British Pub and our world-renowned brewers.
Prior to joining the BBPA, Emma served as a Member of the European Parliament for the East Midlands for 10 years. As a true beer lover, she also served as Vice President of the European Parliament Beer Club during this time. She has also held posts including Chairman of the Commonwealth Forum and Director of Global Policy for the Sports Integrity Global Alliance and is currently Chair of the Worldwide Brewing Alliance, Vice Chair of the Tourism Alliance Board and a Director of the Ivors Academy.
Outside of work, Emma is a big fan of music and sport, closely following the rugby, football and cricket – as well as watching them in her local pub!
Panel 4: Ask the Funder: How to Successfully Attract Grant Funding
Lewis Bowman
Head of Finance, Plunkett Foundation (Panel Chair)
Mark Purvis
Deputy Director, England, National Lottery Community Fund
As a Deputy Director at the National Lottery Community Fund, the biggest community funder in the UK, I lead funding delivery to enable communities to thrive.
With 20 years’ experience in grant making my role over the last few years has predominantly involved leading the transition to a more community focused set up, so that funding teams better understand the communities they serve by being part of them. As a result, I have an interest in philanthropic and leadership thinking to support funding teams and the communities they work with, and have attended and contributed to various events exploring these subjects.
Kelcey Wilson-Lee
Director of Programmes, Architectural Heritage Fund
Kelcey Wilson-Lee is the Director of Programmes at the Architectural Heritage Fund, where she oversees the AHF’s UK grant programmes, evaluation, and communications. Previously, she worked as a senior fundraiser at University of Cambridge. She is a historian of medieval Britain and its material heritage.
Maddy Taylor
Head of Operations, The Princes Countryside Fund
In her position as Head of Operations, Maddy oversees The Prince’s Countryside Fund’s (PCF) programme of rural community grant giving and farm support across the UK as well as supporting the strategic growth of the charity. Maddy joined PCF in 2013 and during her time at the Fund has been instrumental in the development of the grant programme, The Prince’s Dairy Initiative and The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme. Maddy is passionate about rural and farming communities and spends as much time as possible in Gloucestershire with her husband and two children.
Helen Bridge
Social Action Programmes Senior Manager, Aviva Community Fund
She has a career spanning the private, public and charity sectors and a lifelong passion to make a positive difference to the lives of others. In 2019, Helen co-founded social enterprise, NUNCATS. They develop tough, affordable electric bush planes to support NGOs with humanitarian response in hard to reach places, and offer STEM learning opportunities for aspiring engineers here in the UK. She also holds a trusteeship for a small international children’s charity helping young people displaced by poverty, violence and abuse across Latin America.
John Dawson
Head of Market Development and Investment, Community Shares Unit (Booster Fund)
John is Head of Market Development and Investment at the Community Shares Unit, based at Co-operatives UK. The Community Shares Unit exists to support and grow the community shares market. We promote best practice standards, are a funder and institutional investor in community share offers, train and license practitioners and we are the primary source of community shares market intelligence. John sits on the Community Shares Booster Fund investment panel. Prior to this John was Head of Social Investment at the funder Power to Change where he oversaw a number of programmes investing in community pubs, housing and energy. John is a director of the Sheffield Social Enterprise Network and the Burton Street Foundation in Sheffield.
Social Impact Story: An Interview with… Neil Truphet, Amberley Shop on the Common
George Ogier
Project Support Officer, Plunkett Foundation (Interviewer)
Neil Truphet
Amberley Shop on the Common
Neil Truphet is the chair of Amberley Shop on the Common and he’ll be interviewed about his experience setting up a brand new community-owned shop and café co-located in a church.
Keynote: Adam Henson
Adam Henson
Farmer, Countryfile Presenter and Author
Adam Henson is one of the UK’s best-known farmers and presents his own segment on BBC’s Countryfile to millions of viewers each Sunday evening. Away from the camera you will find Adam and his business partner, Duncan, helping to protect rare breeds of farm animals at the much-loved family attraction, Cotswold Farm Park. Adam is a Sunday Times best-selling author. He published his first book, ‘My Life On The Land’, in 2011 to glowing reviews, and has since authored a memoir, an interactive children’s book, a guide to the countryside titled Two for Joy, and more.
WORKSHOPS
David Alcock
Partner, Anthony Collins
Anthony Collins biography
Chris Buckham
Plunkett Adviser
Chris is an experienced business advisor, with strong expertise in finance and business planning, combined with a deep understanding of digital strategy and solutions as a result of his 30-year career as a marketing and product director for a range of leading IT businesses.
He harnesses his proven track record of delivering sales and business growth by offering community businesses both strategic guidance and the implementation and delivery of successful operational solutions.
Chris has advised over 100 community businesses in different market sectors, both directly, and on behalf of sector support organisations such as Plunkett Foundation, Power to Change and Cooperatives UK. He is also Chair of Bretforton Community Shop Ltd.
He brings a high level of energy and enthusiasm to all his advisory roles and has a proven track record of helping community businesses start up and develop and grow successfully.
Skills: Process Improvement · Shares · Digital Strategy · Financial Planning · New Business Development
Tim Coomer
Business Development Manager, Co-operative & Community Finance
Tim started with Co-op & Community Finance (CCF) as Business Development Manager in January 2016, having previously worked as a retailer, a project manager for a Rural Community Council and a social enterprise adviser. CCF has been lending to co-ops for over 50 years offering fair, supportive finance tailored to meet the needs of all co-operative enterprises and community businesses – helping the sector grow together for a fairer future. Tim is responsible for promoting and raising the profile of the organisation, building partnerships, project delivery and the development of finance packages with like-minded organisations.
Alison Macklin
Community Business Manager, Plunkett Foundation
Alison has over twenty years’ experience in the community business sector, first as a full time paid manager of an award winning community shop and café, where she managed paid staff and a team of over 60 volunteers, and more recently as the Community Business Manager at Plunkett Foundation.
Alison specialises in supporting groups from their initial idea and assisting them with legal structures, through to helping established groups put in place continuity plans or address issues ranging from committee roles and responsibilities, and financial concerns, to recruiting and retaining volunteers. Alison also creates resources, and hosts webinars and face to face training for our Training Hub.
Charlotte Foster
Plunkett Adviser
Charlotte has been an adviser with the Plunkett Foundation for 16 years. She has an established track record in community development and is a graduate of the University of Bradford, where she gained a first class honours degree in community studies. She enjoys providing support and guidance to a wide range of community-owned businesses and believes her job is to mentor people and facilitate projects that will enable groups and individuals, particularly younger people, to achieve their goals and dreams. Born in rural Cumbria she grew up and worked in the family run hotel, an 18th century coaching inn with 26 bedrooms, before training and working in the hospitality trade and retail management.
Laura Olver
Membership & Training Manager, Plunkett Foundation
Laura joined Plunkett in November 2021 as Membership and Fundraising Officer. Prior to that, following graduation from Manchester University, Laura spent 18 years in the retail sector in product ranging and sourcing roles for B&Q, Wyevale Garden Centres and, latterly, Hamleys of London. In 2016, Laura became a Director for the community shop in her village of Appleton in Oxfordshire, which had been trading since 2000. She led a major shop and range revamp and benefitted from Plunkett expertise in helping to shape the successful turnaround of Appleton Shop. She has since shared her knowledge and passion for community businesses with other local groups.
Georgina Edwards
Policy and Research Manager, Plunkett Foundation
Georgina joined the Plunkett Foundation in September 2020 to support the growth of the Information Hub. She works with colleagues across the organisation to link Plunkett’s grassroots support activities to our ambitions to influence national policy and the wider community business sector. She is involved in commissioning sector-specific research which feeds into policy consultations, impact reporting and other state of the sector reports, with the ultimate aim of strengthening the voice of rural communities. Before starting at Plunkett, Georgina undertook a PhD in German literature and philosophy at the University of Oxford, during which she was also involved in teaching and outreach projects. While living in Oxford, she became involved in community projects through volunteering. She has also previously worked in academic and trade book publishing.
David Miskin
Plunkett Adviser
David has a wealth of experience garnered from a 30-year career working for three of the UK’s largest retail businesses.
In the community business sector, he has worked with Power to Change on the Peer Brokers programme (as both a Peer Broker and a support provider), the Powering Up programme, The “Enterprising Communities” initiative, and has supported groups to deliver the Bright Ideas programme.
As a Plunkett Foundation adviser, he has helped over 60 community businesses, including shops, pubs, market gardens, community centres and tourist hubs. Services delivered have included digital development, business plan development, financial management and control, dealing with issues of diversity and inequality, governance and legal structures, preparation of community share offers, funding and advice on how to engage with the community and measure social impact.
Ishita Ranjan
Senior Project Manager, Good Finance
Ishita has over a decade’s experience in the social enterprise sector, with a strong track record of developing, delivering and managing complex projects and programmes that create sustainable social change. She specialises in human-centred design, user voice methodology, and lived experience research and insight. She is deeply passionate about racial inequality, improving health and wellbeing outcomes, and systems change.
Ishita currently directs and manages Spark and Co. and Good Finance. She previously Co-founded Copy & Code, providing website development and digital marketing for social impact organisations.
Alan Collard
Plunkett Adviser
Formerly a banker, since retirement Alan has worked extensively on community-based projects. He was part of the group which established the community-owned and run shop in Toppesfield and led the community purchase of the village pub, The Green Man, in 2012, and was instrumental in establishing a community-owned brewery in the village. Alan has served on the parish council, been a non-executive director of Colne Housing Society, based in Colchester, and also a trustee of the Nancy Salmon Trust. He has direct experience of planning, funding, establishing and running community owned enterprises, including share issues, business planning and financial projections, and securing grant and commercial funding.
ADVISERS
Su Johnstone
Partnerships Manager Crowdfunder
Su Johnston is Partnerships Manager for the UK’s largest crowd-funding platform, Crowdfunder.co.uk: working most often with local authorities and corporates to help make great ideas happen in communities, charities and enterprise. Su is also passionate about community; she is a co-founder of a local social enterprise (or two) and a great proponent of crowdfunding to support local innovation whilst stretching funding further.
Ask Su about:
- Rewards-based crowdfunding
- Social enterprise
- Community supported agriculture
Chris Buckham
Adviser for Plunkett Foundation
Ask Chris about:
- Strategy business plan development
- Governance and legal structures
- Preparation of share offers and Standard Mark assessment
- How to engage with and market to the community
- Social impact
Chris is also a member of Bretforton Community Shop
Charlotte Foster
Adviser for Plunkett Foundation
Charlotte has been an adviser with the Plunkett Foundation for 16 years. She has an established track record in community devel¬opment and is a graduate of the University of Bradford, where she gained a first class honours degree in community studies. She enjoys providing support and guidance to a wide range of community-owned businesses and believes her job is to mentor people and facilitate projects that will enable groups and individuals, particularly younger people, to achieve their goals and dreams. Born in rural Cumbria she grew up and worked in the family run hotel, an 18th century coaching inn with 26 bedrooms, before training and working in the hospitality trade and retail management.
Charlotte’s expertise include:
- community consultation
- engagement
- volunteer management
- action planning
- facilitating study visits
Alison Macklin
Community Business Manager, Plunkett Foundation
Alison has over twenty years’ experience in the community business sector, first as a full time paid manager of an award winning community shop and café, where she managed paid staff and a team of over 60 volunteers, and more recently as the Community Business Manager at Plunkett Foundation. Alison specialises in supporting groups from their initial idea and assisting them with legal structures, through to helping established groups put in place continuity plans or address issues ranging from committee roles and responsibilities, and financial concerns, to recruiting and retaining volunteers. Alison also creates resources, and hosts webinars and face to face training for our Training Hub.