Our Team

As a responsible and open grant-maker, we work hard to ensure our funding reflects the huge range of diversity within UK's society. We ensure that many perspectives are embedded within the Foundation, and especially within our team.

We are proud of our small team with a wealth of experience and knowledge across the voluntary sector, in business and personally. We value diversity in its broadest sense and adopt a range of approaches to ensure multiple perspectives are reflected in the way we work and across our grant-making. Our dedicated staff bring diverse experiences, backgrounds and voices. Outside work, we are involved in a variety of philanthropic causes and volunteering in our communities and have very varied personal interests and lived experiences. In alphabetical order by first name, we hope you enjoy finding out a little more about us.

Clare Wilkinson

Head of Projects

Clare leads a portfolio of projects for the Foundation including commissioning key research, applicant surveys and writing our annual report and creating great case studies with our partners. Prior to the Foundation, Clare was a fundraising consultant with over 20 years in the voluntary sector advising a wide range of charities across the heritage, Arts, welfare, youth and health sectors. Clare volunteers as Chair of her county’s library advisory board and is also certified Health and Life Coach and loves being by the coast with her dog.

Flora Craig

Deputy Director

Flora works closely with the Director and Trustees providing leadership and oversight to the Foundation’s grant-making, especially Major Grants. She has led projects including the £30 million Weston Culture Fund and works with the Art Fund on the Weston Loan Programme. Previously, Flora had over 20 years’ experience working in Arts organisations, managing capital projects and providing fundraising consultancy to a range of charities. Flora volunteers with the Cranfield Trust and loves cooking, gardening and is trying to love running.

Gill Fisher

Foundation Administrator

Gill provides vital administrative and logistical support, especially in relation to supporting those applying for our Major Grants programme and preparing for Trustee Meetings, along with other key areas of the Foundation’s work. She brings valuable skills developed across a range of roles including as a community centre manager and copywriter and as office manager in an architects’ practice. Gill is a native Londoner and keen fan of theatre, live music and reading.

Harriet Brooks

Grants Manager

Harriet is responsible for assessing applications that apply for our regular grants programme, enjoys learning more about the work we support and regularly liaises with our trustees. She has led on Environment projects including the Prioritising our Planet Report, and the Weston Communicating Climate programme. Previously, Harriet had over 15 years as a fundraiser and relationship builder for art galleries, The Prince’s Trust and the Natural History Museum. She has a passion for the natural world and loves to sing in her local Soul Choir.

Hussain Hajjaj

Head of Operations

Hussain ensures that our infrastructure, systems and processes are efficient, effective and secure. With experience across both commercial and charitable organisations, Hussain has over 20 years’ expertise in management consultancy and senior IT roles. Hussain fundraises for local and international charities and takes a keen interest in humanitarian affairs. He can often be found running, particularly after his two young children!

Jennifer Byrn

Operations Support Officer

Jen is responsible for managing our grant-making database and website. She processes all the grants we make, produces insight data for the team and ensures our systems and processes work smoothly and efficiently for our applicants. Before joining the team, Jen was an administrator in the healthcare sector and she holds a master’s degree in criminology. Jen enjoys travelling, spending time with friends and exploring London’s many green spaces.

Matt Webb

Grants Administrator

Matt leads on completing our eligibility checks relating to applicants. He also manages enquiries to the Foundation, providing advice and support to our applicants. Matt has experience of providing excellent customer service and administrative support in organisations such as a University library and a learned society in the bioscience sector. Matt is president of his local public speaking club, supporting members to improve their communication skills and confidence with public speaking.

Paula Wilkinson

Grants Manager

Paula is responsible for assessing applications that come to us through our regular grants programme, enjoys learning more about the work we support and regularly liaises with our trustees. She has spent her career working in the health and charity sectors as both a fundraiser and grant-maker, including with the NHS and National Lottery Heritage Fund. She volunteers as a Project Leader at FoodCycle Marylebone and with her local refugee support charity.

Philippa Charles

Director

Philippa is responsible for the strategic direction and management of the Foundation. Previously, Philippa’s career was in the commercial sector including Associated British Foods and Barclays Plc, working across varied cultures and countries to help people and business teams achieve their potential. She volunteers as a trustee of the grant-maker Barratt Foundation and is also a Trustee of SmartWorks which she was involved in establishing over a decade ago.

Ruth Allen

Planning Manager

Ruth manages our annual cycle of activities across the Foundation and provides executive support to our Directors and Trustees. Ruth’s prior experience included establishing and managing administrative and operations functions in the creative sector and tech start-ups. In her free time, she volunteers with organisations focused on youth and crime and justice, and enjoys dancing, reading and spending time training her rescue dog.

Shemina Sayani

Senior Grants Manager

Shemina oversees our Regular Grant programme and manages our Grants Team, which represents the highest volume of grants our Trustees make annually. She leads on one of our flagship programmes, the Weston Charity Awards, in partnership with Pilotlight. Before joining the Foundation, Shemina worked as a Head of Trusts for over 20 years with a focus supporting communities and health sectors. She loves cooking and travelling.

Taryn Jensen

Accountant

A qualified Chartered Accountant, Taryn is responsible for ensuring the Foundation adheres to its financial obligations and oversees our grant payment process. Originally from South Africa, Taryn has many years’ experience in the financial and technology sectors. Taryn is a keen conservation volunteer and recently qualified as a horticulturalist. She has spent time in Madagascar conducting diving surveys and her other interests include archaeology and astronomy.

Our Partners

 

We have several long-standing partners who are integral to our team and our work so it is a pleasure to acknowledge their contribution.

Bridget Hargreave

Social Media Consultant

Bridget manages our social media presence, a key part of our external communications and an important way we keep in touch with the sector. Bridget uses our channels to convey our news, and also to encourage charities to apply for our grants, and to celebrate our partnerships and milestones. She has worked in charity communications for over 20 years, through consultancy and in-house roles. Bridget is a long-exiled Scot living in London, and loves books, food and travel.

David Allen

Design Consultant

David is our visual guardian! He designs all our online, printed and social media content and has worked with us for many years. David prefers to work with socially minded organisations. We admire that David donates a percentage of his profits to charity. David volunteers for a local environmental charity and is president of a national sporting association.

Laurel Ashton

Freelance Consultant

Laurel provides support to the team on a range of projects. With more than 20 years’ experience in fundraising and consultancy, she has worked with organisations including Welsh National Opera and the London Symphony Orchestra, alongside charities from the education, youth and wider third sector. She enjoys playing the clarinet in her local concert band and is passionate about the environment and the importance of community and social connection in nurturing wellbeing.

Sarah Beach

Editorial Consultant

Sarah is the keeper of our written word! Sarah developed our editorial style guide and edits and typesets all our documents. Sarah and David are business partners and we value them hugely. In her spare time, Sarah volunteers for a local environmental charity and is involved with a local sports club.

Yousef

Office Co-ordinator

Yousef was hired by Associated British Foods through the Fair Shot Employment Programme. Fair Shot is a charity the helps young adults with learning disabilities gain employment by providing a one-year training programme in their cafe and assisting them in finding and retaining employment. The Foundation has supported Fair Shot for several years, and we are delighted that one of their graduates, Yousef, works in our building for Associated British Foods, Wittington Investments and the Foundation as we share offices and some services. Yousef’s role includes managing our post, handling deliveries and keeping our office environment tidy. He enjoys travelling and fashion.

More about Fair Shot’s work can be found via www.fairshot.co.uk