Recent and current consultancies

2012 Joseph Rowntree Foundation Member of a consortium led by Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, undertaking field research on poverty and ethnicity looking at employer behaviour and workplace practices

2011-2 Community Development Foundation/Big Local BL Representative supporting communities to develop visions and action plans for Big Lottery funding over 10 year programme

2011-12 NESTA Providing expert advice on networks and social capital to ICARUS, the learning partner on the BIG Lottery funded Neighbourhood Challenge programme.

2011 Local Government Development and Improvement Joint work with Mandy Wilson to review and update the community empowerment section of LGID’s knowledge and resources web pages.

2011 North West Together We Can (regional empowerment partnership) Organised regional conference (March) to celebrate achievements around community empowerment and to consider options for the future of community development for people involved in practice, management, training and learning.

2011 Workers Education Association (NW)Carried out research and produced report for the evaluation of Take Part activities funded by regional champion’s Development Fund.

2011Muslim College, Cambridge. Ran two sessions for post-graduate students on community leadership and networks.

2010  University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) Joint authorship with Professor David Morris of a pamphlet on Communities Connected – inclusion, participation and common purpose, commissioned by Royal Society of Arts, London. 

2010 University of South Bank, London Delivered three hour workshop on community development and public health to Masters-level students.

2010   Community Development Foundation Provided CD training and mentoring support for the staff of regional faith forums in England. Undertaking a survey of learning and writing brief ‘legacy paper’ around key themes.

2010 Joseph Rowntree Foundation Prepared  expert distillation paper on social networks, poverty and ethnicity (published in May 2011).

2010         Community Development Foundation Literature review and ‘think piece’ on race inequalities in Britain, based on reports, discussion documents and research over the past 5 years for the evaluation of the TRIF programme

2010  Community Development Foundation Providing CD training and mentoring support for the staff of regional faith forums in England

2010      Community Development Foundation Coordinated action research project to quality assure different models for evaluating community empowerment experiences

2010  Neighbourhoods North West and NW Together We Can Facilitated a Community of Practice on community empowerment. Worked with regional stakeholders to produce and consult on a regional CD strategy

2010  Supported members of Every Voice Counts (REP in the West Midlands) to discuss and draw up next year's action plan

2010   Community Development Foundation Facilitated learning event for Regional Empowerment Partnership lead bodies

2010   Community North West Ran workshop on action research for communities at conference showcasing community empowerment practice

2010  Chesterfield Voluntary Action Prepared and facilitated workshops on community-led action research for members of BME communities in Derbyshire to investigate housing-related support needs

2010  Workers Education Association (NW) Two workshops for tutors and other learning facilitators on embedding active citizenship learning

2010   NAVCA Discussion paper on leadership in the big society, with special focus on issues for the voluntary and community sector

2010   Local Government Information Unit Ran workshop on community enterprise for seminar series on local economic development

2009   IDeA Working on behalf of Resources4Change with Hub 5 of the NEA to produce a model and resource bank for integrating empowerment, equalities and cohesion work in local authorities

2009   Community Development Foundation Facilitation of awayday for groups benefiting from Tackling Race Inequalities Funding (TRIF)

2009/10 Royal Society of Arts (RSA) Fieldwork research on community networks operating in New Cross Gate and input into the NDC's social capital and community development strategy. Continued involvement on the Connected Communities steering group.

2009/2010 Open University Prepared policy and practice report on the recent ERSC Identities and Social Action research progrmme. Published in September 2010 - see publications page.

2009   Centre for Effective Services (Dublin) Contributed UK lessons to international review of evidence for communty-led social inclusion programmes

2009   Royal Society for the Arts (RSA) Prepared successful joint funding proposal on social capital, community development and social inclusion on behalf of RSA and In Control.

2009   Neighbourhoods North West Organised series of seminars for senior managers and policy makers on community development and empowerment

2009     Richmond Council (Surrey) Keynote speaker at conference on CD and empowerment

2009 Community Development Foundation Managed/conducted review of CDF's work in Wales, Europe and four-nations

2008 Community Development Foundation Managed contract for CDF research on CD and migrants in England

2008  Rural Development Foundation, Sri Lanka VSO special assignment  to develop community-led projects and funding proposals

2008  Derbyshire NHS partnership on Delivering Race Equality Designed and delivered workshop on community development for mental health in BME communities

2007  National Social Inclusion Partnership Managed contract for research on CD practice and mental health

2007  CD Challenge group Managed research project on CD's contribution to democracy

2006-8 CSIP South West Provided coaching and mentoring for regional network of community development workers

2005 States of Jersey, Home Affairs department Presentation, advice and training for senior managers, policymakers and politicians on developing community engagement

Membership of advisory bodies

2010    RSA Connected Communities research programme

2007    Joseph Rowntree Foundation/Common Purpose - Local Links action research programme

2005-8  Department of Communities and Local Government, CD Challenge working group

2004-7  Home Office - Active Learning for Active Citizenship pilot programme

2004    JRF - Faith and social capital

2003-6 JRF - Neighbourhood empowerment programme

2002-4  JRF - Auditing community participation

2002-4  Home Office - Community capacity building reference group

1998-9  Shaftesbury Society - research on faith-based community work