Board members
Details of our Board can be viewed below:
In 2011 we increased the Board membership to enable us to develop a sustainable social business that plays a key role in increasing people's participation and involvement in their local neighbourhood. Our current Board Member Policy can be seen here.
Ken Perry (Chair)
Ken Perry is chief executive of Plus Dane Group, the pioneering social landlord that has redefined its role from being a housing provider to neighbourhood investor.
Ken brings with him a firm commitment to the principles of community involvement and development, and to social innovation.
Years in housing and regeneration convinced Ken that creating sustainable communities is about more than bricks and mortar - it requires a radical rethink in the way opportunities are created for local people to become directly involved in the future of their own communities. Plus Dane operates in a unique way, spending less on running its business and more on investing in the neighbourhoods it serves.
David Parr (Vice-Chair)
David Parr became chief executive of Halton Borough Council in June 2004. David also leads on digital inclusion for the Liverpool City Region and is chair of the Greater Merseyside Digital Development Agency. He also leads for the Liverpool City Region on Transport and chairs the Transport Working Group as well as being the senior responsible officer for the Mersey Gateway Bridge Project.
David is a Board Director at the Daresbury Science and Innovation Centre. He also sits on the Board of Halton Chamber and Widnes Vikings Rugby League Club.
Elaine Darbyshire
Elaine Darbyshire joined NHS North West as Director of Strategic Communications in March 2009.
Elaine takes the strategic lead for internal and external communications throughout the organisation and for NHS bodies across the region.
She was previously Director of Corporate Communications and Research for the Guardian Media Group’s regional division.
Most recently at the Guardian Media Group, Elaine headed a number of successful health campaigns including the ‘I Love Me’ cross-media campaign, raising awareness of key public health messages across Greater Manchester’s two million population.
Dr Alison Gilchrist
Dr Alison Gilchrist is an independent consultant who has been involved in community development for more than 27 years. She has worked at local, regional and national levels of government, with community, voluntary and public sector organisations. Alison has written extensively on the application and evaluation of community engagement as well as delivering engagement processes. She has advised the RSA’s connecting communities research and is a nationally-recognised name in community development.
Alison is a trustee of the Community Development Exchange and an associate consultant with the Community Development Foundation and the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action.
Julie Higgins
Julie Higgins was appointed Director of Commissioning Development for the NHS Greater Manchester Cluster in May 2011.
Julie’s previous role was as Chief Executive of NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale.
Prior to this, Julie was the Director of Public Health for Salford and Deputy Chief Executive at NHS Salford.
Julie’s earlier career included roles as Deputy Director of Public Health at NHS Salford and Health Promotion Officer in Oldham, prior to this she had a research career in immunology.
Nicola Dickins
Nicola Dickins is the founder and Managing Director of Make it Happen Consultancy Ltd, an organisation that provides social and ethical business support, enabling organisations to develop and grow financial and social values to achieve their long term stability.
Nicola is also co-founder and Director of WISE Connections CIC; a Social Enterprise set up with the aim to provide opportunities for women with common values to communicate, connect and share information, knowledge and wisdom in order to promote and develop Social Entrepreneurship.
Nicola is an Associate member of CIPD and the Institute of Fundraising. She is currently studying towards her PhD in Business and Management at Sheffield Hallam University.
Sandra Palmer
Sandra Palmer is a highly experienced communications professional with over 25 years experience. She is currently working as a consultant director at communications, marketing and social change consultancy, Corporate Culture, where she advises and works with a range of private, public and third sector clients.
Prior to joining Corporate Culture, Sandra held a number of communications director roles at United Utilities, including Marketing Communications Director and Strategy & Marketing Director where she had strategic responsibility for brand, media relations, digital, CSR, employee engagement and stakeholder management leading an award winning team, and prior to this had senior communications roles with an environmental charity and government body.
Abdul Hamied
Abdul is currently Chief Executive of Kashmir Youth Project (KYP) in Rochdale. He has been seconded by Rochdale Council to support the organisation in capitalising on the opportunities presented by the Big Society and the Localism agenda. Prior to his secondment he has held a number of positions within Rochdale Council including LSP Director, acting Service Director for Regeneration Service, Regeneration & Renewal Manager and General Manager of the Economic & Regeneration Partnerships. Through these roles he lead on the Borough’s Local Strategic Partnership, the Community Strategy, Local Area Agreement, Neighbourhood Renewal strategy, Economic Development and a range of economic and area-based UK and EU regeneration programmes and partnerships.
He is also a Local Improvement Advisor, as part of CLG, for Employment/Worklessness, Stronger Communities and Performance Management.
