Alistair works as the local Catalyst across Central Bedfordshire, supporting local people to set up and run their own community micro-enterprise to provide care and support to people in their community.

On a day-to-day basis Alistair spends his time connecting with local people in the community who are looking to set up their own enterprise or are already running one and wanting to diversify/overcome barriers. He also works closely with local stakeholders and the adult social care teams to raise the profile of new, developing and established community enterprises.

Andy is the Business and Development Manager, working primarily on the Lottery funded “Made in Wigan “project.  He works with new and existing community businesses and social enterprises, helping them to develop and grow their offer and better understand their financing and funding options and how to be more business minded, helping them to become more sustainable.  He also works closely with the secondary schools and colleges in the borough, attending careers fairs and industry days to help young people better understand enterprise and what makes an enterprise social, providing them with ideas for alternative career opportunities.

Members of Abram Ward Community Cooperative’s staff team, first started working with Community Catalysts as part of the Wigan community micro-enterprise project in 2012.  It was via this project that the initial seed idea for developing Abram Ward Community Cooperative was established, to support local people to address local needs via the growth of community enterprises.  Our hub, Platt Bridge Community Zone, was at that time a Council owned building and we connected to the Community Catalysts project, where we linked up to enterprises who could rent space within our hub.

After qualifying as a nurse for people with a learning disability over 30 years ago Angela has had a long career in the field of health and social care – supporting people in many different settings. Angela has also worked in roles with a learning focus, helping people to develop their knowledge and skills. More recently, Angela has designed and delivered a number of important projects which resulted in publications of national significance.

Angela is the Director of Development at Community Catalysts. She works on creative projects with individuals, community groups, local councils, statutory bodies and providers across the UK and is an advocate of local, community driven solutions to health and care challenges.

Our work at Forge Urban Revival is essentially enabling people within the community to deliver culturally based activities.  At the Wakes we achieved this via our café, community space and series of social, art and culturally events.  We were also successful in providing space to an existing community craft group moving from traditional day care services to using direct funding to continue meeting; allowing the group opportunity to engage in wider social activity within the venue and surrounding areas. Our work was recognized with the Queens Award siting our work in tackling social isolation and our uniqueness of enabling volunteers.

I would best describe our work with Community Catalysts as being an extension of us, supporting us internally in meeting our key social objectives; being a valued sounding board and providing a presence at meetings that moved our social aims forward; for example direct involvement in providing a smooth transition for the community group mentioned above.  Supporting us externally by bringing back third-party discussions, identified social provision gaps and links to key people, this provided an insight into relevant social value opportunities, understanding of funding streams and essentially improved ways of working alongside other community activities for mutual benefit.

As the Catalyst for Telford & Wrekin Chris’ role was to explore with community businesses how they might work towards becoming more sustainable and offer a range of support including care for local communities as part of the ‘Enterprising Communities’ project. Chris found it a real privilege to work with people who wanted to develop good support both with and for other local people. Making connections, providing networking and signposting for upskilling staff and volunteers all contributed towards developing new visions for both formal and informal supports to be developed.

Chris now leads the community enterprise project in Shropshire for Community Catalysts, partnering with Shropshire Council and Bronze Labs.

DanceSyndrome believe that there is no right or wrong way to move and there is beauty and significance in everyone’s movement. We seek to highlight that people with disabilities are individuals and have a right to lead a life of their choosing. DanceSyndrome deliver inclusive community workshops, leadership training and performances all over the UK. We are a disability led organisation and our workshops are co-delivered by a Dance Leader with a disability and a professional Dance Artist and are a great way to keep active, boost your mental health and get creative!

DanceSyndrome are proud to be supported by Community Catalysts, who helped founder Director Jen Blackwell realise her ambition to start an inclusive dance charity in 2009.  Since then DanceSyndrom has gone from strength to strength, providing opportunities for adults with learning disabilities to train as Dance Leaders, co-deliver inclusive community dance sessions and co-choreograph and perform inspirational dance pieces all across the UK.  Community Catalysts have invited Jen and her team of Dance Leaders to perform at many of their events during the past 10 years and to take the podium to talk about their own unique journeys and inspirational lives.

Dr Simon Lennane is a GP and PCN Clinical Director in Ross-on-Wye, with a particular interest in community health and the impact of loneliness and inequalities. Simon is a trustee of Ross Community Development Trust, and volunteers with Ross parkrun.

Ross Community Development Trust was set up to provide an infrastructure to support the local voluntary sector. We recognised that while we had a strong local VCS, there was a lack of coordination & communication. We felt there was much more we could do to support groups and our local community. All the progress we had made setting up our Good Neighbour Scheme became invaluable when Covid-19 struck.

Community Catalysts were incredibly helpful, giving advice on structures that would give us most flexibility to meet our objectives, and bringing in experience from other organisations which saved us a lot of time. Having that level of expertise while we were setting up was crucial keeping us on track and giving us confidence in the direction we were taking.

Since December 2019 Heather has co-ordinated the Powys community enterprise project. Working alongside Powys County Council, she is enabling people to diversify or establish small enterprises offering a range of support at home for older people.

From March 2020 Heather has discovered the importance of working virtually to support the entrepreneurs and has attended virtual networking events to link with people who are interested in establishing a community enterprise. The enterprise leaders have played an important role in rural areas during the Covid 19 epidemic, filling gaps between voluntary initiatives and traditional homecare provision. 

As Operations Manager, Helen supports a team of Catalysts working in a variety of council and health authorities to stimulate and sustain community enterprises for people in those areas. Part of the role involves creating and delivering interactive workshops for frontline workers/commissioners to affect the culture and system change needed to make use of the new types of support on offer.

Helen has a particular passion for People Can programmes that support people with a disability to use their gifts and talents to develop their own activity or enterprise - the outcomes are amazing for the person, families, workers and communities!

Mainly, Ian is developing accommodation options for older people spanning the continuum from mainstream housing though to care homes, the latter focusing on replacing our own homes, built 50 years ago, to provide modern environments more conducive to personalising care and support. More broadly, he is an advocate for community led activity, commissioning activity that nurtures development of the core economy in improving our collective ability to live happier, healthier lives.

In 2018 Central Bedfordshire Council commissioned Community Catalysts for a two-year project to develop local enterprises to support older people at home and adults with a learning disability who want to live life their way. The Council has supported the project at all levels and extended the contract by a further 12 months due to the positive impact which is growing a deep reservoir of local people motivated to help other local people enjoy a better life. Community Catalysts brought enterprise leaders and social workers together which helped workers to re-connect with the values that brought them into the sector in the first place.

Jane has been a Town councillor is Ross for 13 years, and has a long history of community and environmental activism.  She is semi-retired from her job as a university lecturer.  Jane became Mayor of Ross in May 2019 with a desire to use her mayoral year to lay the groundwork for a Good Neighbours scheme in the town, in the hope that Ross could move towards being an even more connected, inclusive and compassionate community.

DanceSyndrome believe that there is no right or wrong way to move and there is beauty and significance in everyone’s movement. We seek to highlight that people with disabilities are individuals and have a right to lead a life of their choosing. DanceSyndrome deliver inclusive community workshops, leadership training and performances all over the UK. We are a disability led organisation and our workshops are co-delivered by a Dance Leader with a disability and a professional Dance Artist and are a great way to keep active, boost your mental health and get creative!

DanceSyndrome are proud to be supported by Community Catalysts, who helped founder Director Jen Blackwell realise her ambition to start an inclusive dance charity in 2009.  Since then DanceSyndrome has gone from strength to strength, providing opportunities for adults with learning disabilities to train as Dance Leaders, co-deliver inclusive community dance sessions and co-choreograph and perform inspirational dance pieces all across the UK.  Community Catalysts have invited Jen and her team of Dance Leaders to perform at many of their events during the past 10 years and to take the podium to talk about their own unique journeys and inspirational lives.

Jill is Director of Business Operations for Community Catalysts and has a background in Business Management.

Jill lead on the Enterprising Communities project which has been funded by Esmee Fairbairn, Power to Change and the four project sites City of York Council, Telford & Wrekin Council, Warwickshire County Council & Herefordshire Council to look at how community enterprise and community business can help address loneliness and isolation in local areas. Jill found it a real privilege to see and meet amazing people with a real passion doing wonderful things.

With a 30 year career in community development and citizen engagement spanning both voluntary and public sectors Joe is currently Head of Commissioning at the City of York Council where he leads the authority’s early intervention and prevention programmes and work on ABCD.  A key member of the international Cities of Service coalition Joe has led the development of social action strategies in York and Barnsley. Previously, he was Head of Stronger Communities at Barnsley Council with co-responsibility for the development of the Council’s area arrangements, social inclusion and award winning community engagement and neighbourhood renewal programmes. An excellent networker and collaborative leader.

John Cocker has spent many years working with others on how creativity can support both individual and community development and wellbeing. Most of his work has been delivered in the context of community arts and community development in Telford and West Midlands. This has ranged from managing national arts council initiatives to gaining funding for grass roots ideas so they can become a reality.

He is currently employed as a health improvement practitioner within the public health team at Telford & Wrekin Council. This involves exploring community led models of community development that reduce health inequalities and support health and wellbeing.

For John, honest partnership working, alongside openly sharing knowledge and experience are fundamental positive outcomes.

Having previously worked within health and social care roles such as a senior support worker for neighbouring counties, Leanne decided in January 2019 to set up her own community enterprise working locally in Central Bedfordshire. She provides a range of care and support for older people and adults with a learning disability and long-term health conditions within their home. Leanne provides flexible and responsive support ranging from personal care and sleep in nights to meal preparation, companionship and support for people to engage in activities that they enjoy helping people  to have a life that they want to live.

Leanne has received a range of support from the local Community Catalyst Alistair who is running the development programme in Central Bedfordshire. Working with Alistair, Leanne has been able to link effectively with Social Workers who have been able to raise the profile of her support with customers, as well the Central Bedfordshire Small Good Stuff directory.  Leanne also values the connections and support available via a specific peer network group that Community Catalysts has developed, giving her the opportunity to meet other enterprise leaders.

Lisa is a Project Manager for Community Catalysts with a background in social care and the voluntary sector where she has shared her passion for developing projects that enable people to have choice in the way they live their lives. 

Managing projects in Central Bedfordshire, Herefordshire, Oxfordshire, Suffolk and Norfolk Lisa works in partnership with her team and local authorities to enable local entrepreneurial people and community organisations to offer new, creative care and support options for people who need help at home and in the community.

Virgo, creative, sometimes lazy. I’ve enjoyed over 25 years of mixing paid and voluntary work, straddling the divide between the arts and business worlds, constantly fascinated by using a creative process to engage people. Even the ones who say they are not artistic. More recently I have been earning my stripes as a Parent Carer and navigating adolescent mental health issues. Being able to turn to creative activities undoubtedly helped us through challenging times and now I want to find more ways to make this happen for others. My best skill is never being stuck for an idea. 

Maggie Sanderson is the co-founder of Rejuvenate! a Creative Group for carers and former Carers living in Herefordshire whose aims are to inspire creativity, improve wellbeing and resilience and reduce social isolation and loneliness.  

As a carer for her widowed mother from a young age, Maria understood the importance of quality and trustworthy care. Using that experience and her professional background, she now runs a community enterprise providing  a wide range of care and support to the community of South Powys – helping people to have a good life and remain as independent as possible at home. Maria is a sole trader offering a level of support that people want need and appreciate, which in their words is ‘not like the others’.

Maria is a member of the Community Catalysts’ development programme in Powys.  Before she joined the programme she had a few meetings with her local Catalyst, Heather which was invaluable from both sides as it cemented what was required to set up a community enterprise.

Maria has been supported throughout by Heather to establish and run a safe and sustainable enterprise - advice and guidance is always available when needed. Heather has also set up a network for all the entrepreneurs in the area which provides all the community enterprises with relevant peer support.

Martin’s role as Change Manager (Lead Commissioner) includes all residential and non-residential services for older people as well as Technology Enabled Care. He manages a team of commissioners and support staff in the Council and links in strongly with colleagues in the local NHS. As part of the Social Services Senior Management team Martin develops new models of service delivery between commissioning and care management and also works closely with key managers in the local NHS to ensure that flows of patients into either residential or community based care and support are achieved.

Martin had contact with Community Catalysts in previous roles. As part of Powys Council’s intention to add capacity to their domiciliary care market and introduce a different, localized model for design and delivery they asked Community Catalysts to develop and deliver a localized model in a discreet part of Powys initially. In Martin’s role as Lead Commissioner, he liaised with both the project worker and the Operations Manager to develop this project, to facilitate communication with key stakeholders in both the Council and partner organization and to ensure that the project fulfills the Council’s expectations for mainstreaming post-project period (2021).

Sian is a graduate of Oxford University with a Masters in Social Work Studies. She has worked in a wide range of statutory and voluntary sector organisations in the UK and Africa before becoming the Chief Executive of a charity delivering family-based services to people with learning disabilities across Yorkshire and Teesside. Her experiences with that charity led her to become a passionate advocate for small-scale community-led solutions that helped other local people, and as CEO of the representative body for family-based support Shared Lives Plus lobbied successfully for a regulatory approach which placed the burden of regulation on an agency rather than the families.

In her current role as CEO of Community Catalysts she continues the fight for a legal, regulatory and bureaucratic environment within which local people can use their gifts, talents and imagination to create enterprising services and ventures that help other local people. 

 Sian was awarded an OBE for services to social care in the 2010 Queen’s Birthday Honours List. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts and of the Salzburg Global Forum.

Susie leads on Power to Change’s health and social care work, supporting community businesses delivering health or social care services and working with local and national partners to understand and develop the role of communities and community businesses in health and care and explore how this links to good lives and inclusive local economies. 

Alongside Esmée Fairbain, Power to Change supported Community Catalysts to explore the potential and role of community business in health and social care in Telford & Wrekin and Warwickshire. We are excited for the launch of the University of Birmingham report exploring the impact of this work and the case for investment into community-led approaches. Power to Change continues to work closely with Community Catalysts to learn about and promote the role of community business and enterprises in enabling people to live the lives they want, in the places they choose, and how these approaches contribute to inclusive local economies. 

In 2017 a group of local residents took over the running of the Sutton Hill Community Centre to prevent it from closure. Terry's role means that he is responsible for the strategic direction of the charity and overseeing all the new developments that they are working on to improve the lives of the community. This includes the development of a care service where they employ local people to care for local people. They are also looking to develop a housing service and open a community shop which will provide people with access to affordable food. 

Community Catalysts have supported the Hub on the Hill to look at social care in a different way. They were pivotal in helping the Hub on the Hill to set up the Cottage Crew project. This project came about due to the closure of a traditional older persons day care facility. It provides support in the community to a wide range of people with multiple needs via an art group. It shows that social care can be delivered in a number of different ways and in a way that meets a person’s needs better.

Tess Brooks has a background in health and social care, the voluntary sector, and is a qualified mental health professional. In 2018, Tess joined Community Catalysts co-ordinating the Enterprising Communities Project in Herefordshire. In her role as Catalyst, Tess worked alongside Herefordshire Council, to facilitate the development of a wide range of micro-enterprises, which were focused on reducing social isolation and loneliness within the county.

Tess enjoyed working with individuals and groups who felt passionately about making a difference to people in their communities. Offering information, networking, signposting and connecting, Tess was able to support enterprises to transform their ideas, dedication and hard work, into services and activities. Enabling a wider range of formal and informal ways to support health and well-being within Herefordshire.

Tess is now a Knowledge Manager for Community Catalysts, working to share learning and good practice.

Tom is a researcher and public policy professional with substantial experience in policy research, analysis and delivery, as well as project development and project management. Since completing his PhD in 2009, he has worked with a variety of organisations across academia, local government, the NHS and the voluntary and community sector and managed a wide range of research and local economic development projects. He is an honorary research fellow at the University of Manchester. At CLES, Tom is responsible for leading on policy for the organisation, leading the delivery of complex, high-profile projects and overseeing CLES’s portfolio of written content.

Tom first connected with Community Catalysts through his work for CLES on adult social care. He attended a round table event hosted by Leeds City Council and Community Catalysts in November 2019 to help inform the recommendations from the New Economic Foundation report on the local economic impact of community micro-enterprise. CLES has drawn on this report for its work commissioned by the North West Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (NW ADASS) on the role of adult social care in building local economies. As part of this work CLES has developed e-tools for commissioners to understand and reshape local care markets to deliver greater social and economic justice, whilst continuing to provide choice and control for people needing support.