Argyll and Bute Third Sector Interface (TSI) is funded by the Scottish Government to be a central source of knowledge and support for the Third Sector locally and to facilitate the development and sustainability of Argyll's 1000 plus groups through advice, training and capacity building. We also act as a conduit between local and national policy and how it may affect local third sector organisations, communities, and citizens. Working across the region, Argyll and Bute TSI ensures a strong third sector voice at a strategic level within local and national planning structures and provides leadership, vision, and coordination to the local third sector to better respond to local priorities and this can be through partnerships and collaborations.

I operate a small leisure and a small consultancy business in between projects and full time work. Board level executive experienced in corporate affairs, business planning, transformation, change management, income generation, engagement, destination marketing, reputation management and place making.

Chief officer role covering a wide portfolio including leading on a number of high profile developments such as the £41m Woolwich Creative District (woolwich.works) which seeks to regenerate Woolwich by bringing jobs and inward investment to the wider Woolwich area through siting world class Dance, Music and Theatre companies on the Royal Arsenal. From March to July 2020 led the Borough's task force managing the community response to COVID-19. Sat on Priority Investment Board and Strategic Property Board. The role managed the following teams and functions:-- Policy, Performance and Insight including business planning and the corporate performance framework- Knowledge, Information and Systems- Culture, Tourism and Heritage- Leisure, Sport, Libraries and Adventure Playgrounds- The voluntary sector including the grants process.

With a seat on the Corporate Management Team I provided Aberdeen with the strategic communications platform to promote itself at a time of economic transition to maintain its status at the top of surveys for economic growth and development across the UK. Scotland's third city has ambitious plans to build on its reputation as a great place to live and work to attract visitors and inward investment. Managed internal and external communications, events, marketing, web and FOI teams. I introduced nationally renowned events to the City as well as establishing a partnership that delivered Christmas Festivals bringing in £25m in GVA to the city and the Great Aberdeen Run. Key achievements include setting up the corporate approach to Transformation and leading on the media and stakeholder engagement programmes for the successful City Region Deal bid, a £370m bond issue and the £1bn city centre masterplan. Established and introduced core performance systems, a new account management model, new governance policies and an audience driven approach to promoting organisational content in a multi-channel world which led to a trebling of our social media followers. Part of the City Region Deal, transformation, business planning and budget teams.

Tower Hamlets is an iconic London Borough at the heart of the East End. It is an area of contrasts with extremes of wealth and poverty but it is known for providing excellent and improving schools and continues to build more social housing than any other area in England or Wales. As an Olympic borough it played a key role in welcoming the world to London. As the communications and marketing lead for the borough I oversaw a talented service that responded to numerous high profile and challenging media issues whilst providing strategic counsel to the Corporate Management Team. Restructured the service saving over £1m whilst at the same time as improving service levels. Managing editor of what was then the UK's 25th largest paper by audited circulation and turned loss making position into break even through commercial partnership working.

Cafcass, the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, was founded in 2001 and brought together three separate organisations into one national agency to promote the best interests of children in Family courts. Cafcass is the largest employer of social workers in the country and worked with over 100,000 children a year across 120 offices. I was a leading player in the team introducing what was then the world's first online social care system with 300,000 service users and worked with statutory partners on issues ranging from social worker recruitment, training resources introducing legislative changes and opening up the family courts. Working with children and young people my team rebranded the organisation as child focused and positioned Cafcass as the authoritative voice on the challenges facing children and parents in the family courts.

Stonham was the UK's largest provider of supported accommodation for young people leaving care, women fleeing domestic violence, mental health service users and ex-offenders. Whilst at Stonham I led a small team and budget to support service transformation, internal/external communications and business development. Given the vulnerable backgrounds of many of the service users significant efforts were made to put in place mechanisms to protect them from the media. Key projects include overhauling the approach to tenant and service communications which led to a three-fold increase in engagement with the annual survey and strengthening the internal communications systems. Chaired the Equalities Forum.

Hansard was listed on the Aim exchange in London as Hansard Group. I was a founder director and we listed in November 2000. Hansard specialised in financial and corporate PR including investor relations. Client sectors ranged from governments to property and construction to music and entertainment. The company grew to have over 45 clients making it the UK's 13 largest financial PR company.