Examples of my work

Strategic coaching with a team

When a charity chief exec and four senior business leaders undertake an intensive strategic coaching engagement over time, we build resilience for the organisation, and personal and professional growth for its leader. My role with Pilotlight was to project manage, facilitate meetings, build and support the team, help them clarify and move them towards goals, manage interactions between stakeholders and coach the chief exec.

Rebecca is very much an encourager and empathetic and that made us feel very at ease in the programme and enabled an honesty and vulnerability that meant all conversations where real and open. Rebecca also challenged thinking by using questioning that encouraged learning.  Rebecca was very much more than a facilitator and had a holistic approach that meant our times together helped me not to just evolve as a leader but gave space for me to reflect on not only on the sessions and learning but also gave me space to develop as a person and to not be afraid to take time away and this I believe is as moved me on to the next phase in both professional and personal development. 

Find out more here

UK-wide peer support for Social Entrepreneurs

Catalysed by Covid, I created ‘Connect & Share’ with UnLtd, a series of facilitated online peer support events that engaged and motivated 500+ social entrepreneurs from across the UK for the first time. We led with a theme and an expert speaker with lived or learned experience, followed by small groups where mutual support and business was done.

Rebecca approaches her work from a place of empathy, authenticity and understanding. During Covid-19 Rebecca and I collaborated on the design and delivery of a series of online peer support events for social entrepreneurs who were in receipt of an UnLtd Award. I learned a huge amount from Rebecca about designing dynamic and engaging workshops and I felt incredibly supported by her which was great for my confidence. 

Find out more about UnLtd's events here

Collaborative consultancy

Designed to address operational challenges in an innovative and practical way, multiple teams of volunteers apply their knowledge and experience to generate fresh thinking and help open up perspectives so that a charity or social enterprise can take away a plan of action. My role with Pilotlight was to induct participants and facilitate the day, ensuring the teams agree and are clear about objectives, and guide them towards realistic and actionable outcomes.

The question time at the beginning of the day was not rushed and given plenty of time to allow the participants to really unpick the challenge and understand the context.

The whole process from start to finish was clear, effective and well-designed. The Pilotlight team was professional, supportive and warm. The Deloitte team bought lots of skills, creative and solutions to our challenge.

Good preparation work beforehand and great participation on the day. We evolved the brief a little as we went and the day seemed to go all too quickly!

Everything ran so smoothly and to time, it was very impressive especially with so many people to wrangle! I really liked the opportunity for us to be able to input at various stages of the day to make sure the pilotlighters were on the right line

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Building a community of mutual support

Enabling and facilitating a support ecosystem with ‘placed-based’ social entrepreneurs in communities in the south east and south west, with UnLtd, Local Trust and People's Postcode Trust, local organisations, businesses and individuals. The role required a range of skills from detectivist to coach to training programme designer and facilitator.

Rebecca is a truly skilled coach, facilitator and a community builder. A social entrepreneur herself, she has a fantastic ability to both support and gently challenge the founders she works with, helping them progress and thrive. Rebecca's belief in people's ability to reach their goals, regardless of their background is infectious and I know has made a huge difference to the many entrepreneurs she has supported. In addition to her 1:1 work, Rebecca is also an expert group facilitator and a true advocate for the power of peer to peer learning. A natural host and convenor, it's a joy to watch Rebecca bring individuals and groups together and to witness the impact this has on everyone in the room.

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Consultancy projects for Inclusive Leaders

During ten weeks with a charity led by and supporting people from underrepresented communities, six Barclays volunteers assess an operational challenge, explore ways forward and make recommendations. My task with Pilotlight was to project manage, build and support the team, help them clarify and move them towards goals, facilitate meetings, manage interactions between stakeholders and coach the chief exec.

Following the project, we started to consider the recruitment of additional coaches to offer tailored support and ensure the programme meets the evolving needs of participants. We are keen on implementing more robust administrative and HR systems to streamline operation, as well as allocating additional resources to marketing to improve awareness and engagement, securing the charity’s visibility and support base. We now have a useful plan that anticipates the impacts of proposed actions, the resources and even a suggested timeline to ensure that new initiatives drive sustainable growth and lasting success.

Find out more here

Podcast project with UnLtd & MIC Media

A podcast project that provided access, training and support to new social entrepreneur podcasters, Joel from BrightStore, Gemma from Mi Futures, The Stoke 2000 project and Andrew Batchelor from Dundee Culture. With brilliant support from MIC Media, we shared stories of enterprising people with solutions to issues faced by those in their community - and across the UK. My role was to instigate, ignite and project manage. I even persuaded comedian Mark Steel to narrate the Brighton episode!

I spent a wonderful 6 months working with Rebecca when she led an ambitious podcast project with a group of social entrepreneurs from across the UK. 

Transforming this project into a podcast was the brainchild of Rebecca, who then project managed and facilitated the series. This included gathering voices, encouraging project participants to get involved, scheduling training, pooling ideas, managing diaries and expectations of contributors from Dundee to Brighton, ensuring the involvement of the wider team. It was a real pleasure to work with Rebecca on this project. I'm always amazed how people can juggle multiple people, outcomes, funder obligations, budgets and timelines to create a happy, joyful project that hits all of the above.

Find out more here

Social Economy Manifesto for Brighton & Hove

Over six months, a wide ranging group of social entrepreneurs and their stakeholders thought about, discussed and designed ways to mutually support one another and created a shared Manifesto celebrated with a showcase event. My role was to scout for, support and facilitate the group to collaborate towards their goals, providing communication and motivation to keep connected and inspired.

I have really enjoyed working with Rebecca, specifically in the [UnLtd] Resilient Communities programme. She has shown real leadership in bringing together social enterprises and their supporters in Brighton, developing a vision for the future that is very inclusive. 

Find out more here

Coaching & Consultancy

Having supported hundreds of individuals and teams, including social entrepreneurs starting and growing their ventures, I can help you with business strategy, marketing, impact measurement, strategic leadership, and organisational development and sustainability, 
We can work in a variety of ways designed for maximum impact: a coaching relationship, as an advisor, facilitator or trainer. 

I was encouraged and guided by Rebecca’s intellectual curiosity, passion for startups like mine and others she linked me with, and her adventurous spirit. Given her background in supporting social entrepreneurs and her mentoring and coaching skills, Rebecca became a valuable asset when I started my social enterprise. Rebecca was for me someone who kept me focused and motivated in good times or when things seemed to be constantly falling. Rebecca told me about how successful I could be at a time when I couldn’t even see it. 

Co-founder of Community Business

Founding Director of Friends of Westdene Green Ltd, a Charitable Community Benefit Society that has operated from a saved community building since 2016, whose mission is to ‘enable the wider community to come together, with The Barn at its heart, building connections and knowledge through a variety of enriching activities, events and information sharing’.

 

Find out more here

Peer Learning Across Borders

I had the joy of co-facilitating a learning journey, welcoming 25 inspiring leaders from Saudi Arabia on a study visit organised by Meld Impact. Focused on charity leadership and community engagement, we explored brilliant grassroots initiatives—from Big Local Works and Bermondsey Community Kitchen in London, to The Crew Club and Brighton Table Tennis Club on the south coast.

Across neighbourhood walks, shared meals, and honest conversations, we saw powerful examples of community-rooted leadership and sustainability in action. The learning went both ways—rich with connection, curiosity, and shared purpose.

Testimonials

Some of the organisations I've worked with

GroundworkPilotlightLocal TrustLocalityUnLtdPower to ChangeThe Wildlife Trusts