I was CEO of Age UK Northamptonshire from 1992 to 2018, responsible for developing the Charity’s long-term strategy, budget and business plan. I established a wide range of prevention, admission avoidance and care services in Northamptonshire including hospital-based services, advice and advocacy, Integrated Care and End of Life initiatives.

I took a substantial role in the national life of Age Concern and then Age UK. I was Chair of the national Campaigning and Influencing Committee, Chair of Membership and Standards, a trustee of Age Concern England, a member of the Age Concern England Finance Committee and a core member of the Task Group which developed the national Age Concern federation. Most recently, I have been a consultant for Age UK, focusing on the development of partnership working across the national Age UK network.

More broadly in Northamptonshire I was Co-founder of Voluntary Voices, an early attempt to promote the voice of the Sector in the County and Chair of the Older People’s Voluntary Forum. I was a member of the Community Health Council, a trustee of Northamptonshire CVS a member of Northamptonshire Health and Social Care Joint Consultative Committee and a member of University of Northampton Social Work Course Board. I have also been a school governor, a trustee on a number of charity boards, co-chair of a precursor body to the County’s Health & Wellbeing Board and a Commissioner on the local Democracy Commission that considered local government arrangements in Northamptonshire. I was a Director of ‘Commsortia’, the voluntary sector consortium, a Governor of Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust and a voluntary sector representative on the County’s Health, Adult Care & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee. I am currently Vice Chair of the Northamptonshire VCSE Assembly.

Prior to coming to the County I worked for The Children’s Society in South Yorkshire where I established a community advice service, a home care company and other initiatives and chaired a branch of Child Poverty Action Group and a Welfare Rights Training consortium in Rotherham. I also conducted Policy development with the Children’s Society and published on Community Development.  In Gloucester I led a Community Development Team, established a number of rural and inner-city projects and chaired a local youth housing association.