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Meet our team

Our talented team is passionate about making a difference, building partnerships and sparking positive change in our communities.

Andy Ralston

CRM & Digital Executive

Andy oversees all things digital within the organisation, including our CRM system, the Spark a Change website, creating engaging video content, and using technology to measure the impact of our organisation.

Anne Lambert

Finance Officer

Anne looks after the day-to-day finances of our organisation. This includes bookkeeping, processing staff and volunteer expenses and making sure we are paid each month!

Bryony Mounter

Events & Marketing Assistant

We first met Bryony in 2017, when she volunteered for us whilst studying for a degree in Graphic Design. Now, as a full-time team member, she plays a crucial role in setting up and promoting our events, supporting the communications and marketing team, and designing our marketing materials.

Cindy Furse

Head of Partnerships

Cindy’s role focuses on partnerships and collaboration, creating opportunities to work collaboratively within the VCFSE sector and with our statutory partners. This includes facilitating the VCFSE Somerset Dementia Partnership, a network of voluntary sector organisations committed to supporting those living with dementia.

Emily Linham

Community Connector Coordinator

Emily’s role supports a community-wide approach to social prescribing, enhancing our collective understanding of community connectors’ work across the county. She is also involved in public health work around hypertension, particularly the 'Take The Pressure Off' campaign, delivered by NHS Somerset and Somerset Council.

Emily Rushton

Digital Development Assistant

As Digital Inclusion Project Officer for Spark iT, Emily plays a key role coordinating our Digital Champion volunteers, including our onboarding and management systems. She also supports the wider project with reporting and funding administration.

Hannah Snowdon

Youth Work Development Lead

Hannah supports members of the Somerset Youth Work Alliance by helping them access training and development opportunities and amplifying their collective voice.

Jenny Hannis

Development Manager

Jenny’s role is all about empowering groups in the Taunton and West Somerset area. She provides practical advice to help these groups stay sustainable, from starting up and securing funding, to providing opportunities for networking and collaboration.

Joanna Bogunska

Community Organiser (Yeovil)

Working alongside our Community Organiser, Sarah, Joanna’s role is focussed on strengthening communities in the Birchfield and Westfield areas of Yeovil. This involves connecting with residents, supporting grassroots initiatives, and coordinating community events. Joanna is also working to increase volunteering, build skills and confidence, address local needs, and drive positive change.

Karen Leafe

Development Manager

Karen offers advice, guidance and expertise to groups in the Mendip area. Whether they need help with governance, policy writing or developing a funding strategy. When the going gets tough, Karen is here to help!

Katherine Nolan

CEO

Supported by the board of trustees and senior leadership team, Katherine has strategic and operational oversight of our organisation. In addition, she represents the sector at a strategic level, championing charities, collaborating with key stakeholders, and influencing funders and decision makers.

Kerry Wills

Communications Officer

Kerry looks after our internal and external communications, including our website, social media and newsletter, helping to ensure that our messaging is consistent and on brand.

Laura Bazley

Development Coordinator

Laura plays a key role in our work to enhance volunteering and social action. She supports groups with volunteer management and recruitment, hosts events and helps them get the most out of our volunteering platform, Spark a Change.

Laura Bolter

HR Administrator

Laura is our ‘go to’ for all thing HR! She provides advice and guidance across the organisation to ensure our team members feel valued and supported.

Leonie Cole

Development Manager

Leonie provides advice, guidance, and support to groups in the South Somerset area. As the Safeguarding Lead here at Spark Somerset, she can provide support related to this topic, as well as risk management and policy development.

Lindsey Brown

Communications and Marketing Lead

Lindsey leads on communications and marketing, shaping our strategy so that our activities are well planned and coordinated and that the voice of the VCFSE sector is at the heart of all we do.

Liz Tozer

Projects Administrator

Liz ensures that our skills development initiatives — made possible by Shared Prosperity Funding — run smoothly and are as accessible as possible to the groups we work with. She is also supporting the development of a range of ‘self-serve’ resources on our website which will be available soon!

Liz Loud

Development Worker (Children & Young People's Mental Health)

Liz is supporting the development of a countywide Children & Young People’s Mental Health Network. The Network aims to enhance collaboration across the VCFSE sector, ultimately leading to better outcomes for young people.

Nina Hurst-Jones

Head of Operations

Nina plays an important role in ensuring our organisation runs smoothly and efficiently. She oversees all operational activities which includes strategic planning and making sure our policies and procedures are effective and up to date.

Olly Clabburn

Research Manager

Olly worked with Spark Somerset on the Reflect Recover Renew Project in 2021. Now, he's back as Research Manager. Olly’s keen to explore opportunities for undertaking community research which plays a crucial role in shaping services, demonstrating our impact, and advocating for the people we support.

Penny Schofield

Development Manager

Penny works in the South Somerset area, supporting groups to become more sustainable. She can provide a range of guidance to help organisations get started, develop and grow. In addition, Penny oversees our training programme.

Ruth Cuthbert

Finance and Operations Lead

Ruth contributes to the sustainability and success of our organisation by ensuring our finances are in check and keeping a close eye on risk management and compliance.

Sally Holliday

Community Organiser (Highbridge)

Sally’s role is all about building a sense of belonging and community spirit in Highbridge. Working with local hubs and engaging in outreach with local people, she will encourage more people to volunteer and support them to deliver a range of community projects.

Sally Hill

Community Organiser (Highbridge)

As Community Organiser role for Highbridge, Sally is building on partnership working in the area. Based at the Morland Community Hub and working with ‘Our Highbridge’, her aim is to improve access to un-tapped resources and expertise whilst increasing opportunities for volunteering in new and creative ways.

Sarah Moore

Community Organiser (Yeovil)

Sarah is a Community Organiser in the Birchfield and Westfield areas of Yeovil. Her role involves supporting local people to design and deliver exciting volunteer-led projects and initiatives which will benefit their communities

Sharon Hale

Head of Voluntary Sector Development

In addition to overseeing our team of Development Managers, Sharon represents the organisation and the wider sector at key strategic meetings and is always on the lookout for opportunities to develop and enhance our offer.

Siobhan Wilson

Digital Development Manager

Siobhan leads the Spark iT digital inclusion project, helping ensure that Somerset residents have access to devices, data and support to get online.

Stacey Newick

Projects Administrator (Partnerships)

Stacey will be providing administrative support for several of our projects, including our initiatives to develop partnership working with our colleagues in health and the Council, the Somerset Dementia Partnership, the Somerset Mental Health Network, and the Children & Young People’s Mental Health Network.

Susi Calder

Volunteering Development Manager

Susi has a varied background in community organising and volunteer management, having helped hundreds of small organisations across the voluntary and private sectors for over 20 years. Here at Spark Somerset, she leads on the development our volunteering strategy and initiatives and is passionate about making social action accessible to all.

Val Keeble

Open Mental Health Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator

Val engages with mental health organisations and the wider sector to understand the issues and barriers faced by people when trying to access support and helps find practical solutions.

Our associates

We also work with associates and freelancers who contribute their specialist skills and expertise to our projects and initiatives, helping us achieve our goals and deliver effective solutions. 

Will Palmer

Digital Coordinator, Spark iT

Will has been a Digital Champion in the Spark iT team, helping to set up Digital Cafés since 2023. Now, he assists in the recruitment of referral partners (such as town councils, libraries, the police and job centres) who will join our mission to support Somerset residents who are experiencing poverty.

Helen Sworn

Consultant (Displaced People)

Working alongside our other consultant, Anira, Helen's goal is to increase capacity within the VCFSE sector to support Displaced People, namely asylum seekers and refugees in Somerset. She is largely focused on mapping services, assessing training needs and engaging with those who have lived experience on project design and delivery.

Liz Simmons

Independent Chair,of the Somerset VCFSE Collaborative

As Independent Chair of the Somerset VCFSE Collaborative, Liz works with our team and the wider sector to enhance communication and develop opportunities for partnerships and collaboration across the VCFSE and with our public sector partners.

Miranda Milan

Funding and Enterprise Consultant

Miranda supports the Funding and Enterprise strand of our Shared Prosperity funded project, delivering training, workshops, organisational health checks and communicating about all things funding. With a decade of experience in the third sector both internationally and nationally, she is passionate about supporting organisations in Somerset.

Louise Treacher

Funding and Enterprise Consultant

Louise is working on the Funding and Enterprise element of our Shared Prosperity funded project, supporting local organisations to become more financially sustainable. She has worked in community and sports development for over 30 years, and run her own consultancy business for the profit for purpose sector since 2008.

Jenny Hartnoll

Health and Wellbeing Consultant

Jenny leads work around community connectedness across the country and overseas. In the UK, her post is hosted by Spark Somerset and involves supporting organisations to enhance connectedness in their local areas with projects such as Community Connectors.

Our Trustees

Our dedicated Board of Trustees have overall responsibility for the management of the charity. They bring a wide range of experience in a number of important areas including finance, strategy development, social work, health, and the voluntary sector.

Grahame Paine

Chair of Trustees

Grahame is a member of the Somerset Integrated Care Board and has a career spanning health and social care, education, consulting and financial services. He has experience of influencing high level strategies to drive change and helping Boards achieve their strategic goals.

Emily Taylor

Vice Chair

Emily is a Strategic Engagement Officer with the National Grid. Her previous experience in communications within the NHS, means she understands the vital role that the VCFSE sector plays in improving community health and wellbeing.

Tory Offord

Treasurer

Tory is a Chartered Accountant who enjoys working in roles with a commercial focus. She is passionate about bringing sense and simplicity to numbers, allowing for more effective and efficient decision making. She has her own coaching business and loves using her accountancy skills to support the VCFSE sector.

Mel Merrill

Trustee

Mel is Head of Volunteering at St Margaret's Hospice Care. She brings a wealth of experience in designing and improving volunteering practice. Mel is passionate about volunteering and ensuring people are welcomed, inspired and supported to make a positive difference in their communities.

Ian Bramley

Trustee

After moving to Somerset and qualifying as a nurse in 1985, Ian spent 33 years in the NHS working in various roles including leading and developing people and services, commissioning education, and as a senior leader. He is passionate about helping people to find their voice and, since retiring, has volunteered for several charities supporting vulnerable people in the local community.

Debra Drew

Trustee

Debra has worked in the private, public and voluntary sectors and had roles in the arts and digital marketing. She currently works as a Safeguarding Officer for Crispin School in Street. Debra is also a Trustee of Friends of Street Library and has served as a member of her local Parish Council. In addition, she holds a graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.

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