Brilliant Thing is a coaching and design-thinking practice.We focus on connecting strategy and culture to develop purposeful, valuable teams that produce brilliant results.Brilliant Thing works with charities, public sector teams and companies with social aims, to navigate change, avoid burnout and build brilliant organisations from the inside out.

Project work with Ideas Alliance, a social enterprise that wants public services to work in equal partnership with local people rather than to or for them, so better decisions are made and everyone can experience better outcomes.

Facilitating Altogether Better’s model of Collaborative Practice in Primary Care, co-designing solutions with patients, clinical and administrative staff.

Establishing the Rochdale Branch of Action Together (VCSE Infrastructure and Membership Organisation) to bring about a significant increase in citizen-led action that improves local lives.Leading comprehensive programmes to connect, strengthen, develop and invest through volunteer brokerage, training and development support, partnerships and grant-giving. Developing an ‘ecosystem’ of thematic networks who achieve outcomes for communities related to mental health, women’s services, food, economic support and digital equality.Building collaborative leadership relationships with NHS, Local Authority, and statutory partners.Communicating impact of community action across the community, health, and care system.

Developing and facilitating ‘Collaborative Practice’ in 8 Primary Care settings enabling collaboration between communities and GP practices. Part of the Greater Manchester Transformation plan, this work reshaped the relationship people have with their health, and the health and care system and included:Applying the national 'Altogether Better' NHS model to local settings, linking with Social Prescribing and local VCSE provisionRecruiting and coaching GP Practice staff and volunteers. Influencing the hospital volunteering strategy to embed collaborative, person-centred approaches. Creating an environment of equality between clinical and administrative staff, patients and volunteers.Leading our communications strategy including developing an online platform to promote ‘community wellbeing’.

Leading a development and engagement programme focusing on Bolton’s locality plan and the role of the local voluntary and community sector.Supporting the voluntary and community sector and public sector workforce and volunteer-force engagement across all partners in Bolton through promoting the locality plan and developing understanding of new service and support models.Championing and building understanding and awareness of co-design and co-production across Bolton.Increasing awareness of person centred approaches across sectors, championing excellent examples from the voluntary and community sector.Building knowledge and understanding of Bolton’s locality plan and strengthen engagement with the voluntary and community sector

Time to Release aims to empower people to overcome the emotional effects of trauma, through creative sensory experiences. Time to Release offered workshops, publications and mentoring to enable and foster release.In 2017 I developed and delivered courses, resources and social media content including: The Release Course and The Release Workbook.

Arts projects for adults with mental health issues in Rochdale and Wigan. Coordinating Arts and development projects for adults with mental health issues. Securing funding and managing project budgets of between £2,500-£105,000. Between, 2012-15 I raised £233,943 project funding for short courses in Art for Wellbeing and staff roles (70% success rate)Development of new income generation streams through training and teambuilding offers, wellbeing resources trade and conference ticket sales.Partnership management at community and strategic levels. Management of the Art for Wellbeing Practitioner team (Artists and Therapists) Facilitating regional and national events, quarterly exhibitions, and annual conferences. Managing blog content and contributing to social media campaigns.

Various project managed on behalf of Darnhill Festival Association and Cartwheel Arts including:Changing Gear Project CoordinationCoordinating ‘Changing Gear’, a community partnership project to tackle vehicle crime. Coordinating construction, youth engagement and work with offenders promoting community cohesion.Festival CoordinationDeveloping securing funds and then coordinating the GOLD festival and FOREST festival.Collaborating with the Darnhill Festival Association, to realise the creative vision and community cohesion ambitions of the festival.

Devised and delivered creative outdoor projects to schools in Bolton and Bury including willow work workshops, I delivered teacher training in creative skills to enhance key skills

I set up and attained funding to develop FUSE CraftersSupported 60 members in their creative practice organising crafts events and workshops, based around skill sharing and fusing traditional and contemporary craftsI have forged links with local businesses, arts organisations and charities such as Age Concern and have been instrumental in creating opportunities for FUSE Crafter membersI chaired the committee and we have organised and run a community craft fair and programme of activities exhibitions and events for our members

I designed and delivered ongoing creative projects, supporting community groups, budget and team management, event planning and publicity, and working with local agencies and establishmentsI promoted positive lifestyles, raise awareness of environmental issues and enhance the local environmentI worked to enhance skills, opportunities and self-esteem within the community.I aimed to engage families, young people and disadvantaged groups in new, interactive experiences