Meet our Board of Trustees
Back row L-R: Ed Wright, Oliver Jones, Dave Allum, Amine Benkermi, front row L-R: Sarah Clarke, Nazibur Rahman, Rebecca Harrington-Leigh
CO-CHAIR: JONATHAN MACE
What first drew you to Groundwork Five Counties?
I was drawn to Groundwork Five Counties’ mission to build resilient, sustainable communities and drive environmental restoration, as I believe these efforts are crucial to reducing inequality and improving quality of life, which aligns with my own commitment to social inclusion and environmental stewardship.
What relevant experience do you bring to your role as Trustee?
With extensive experience in charity leadership, marketing, fundraising and community-focused initiatives, I bring a commitment to sustainability and social inclusion, supporting community resilience and environmental recovery.
What is your vision for Groundwork Five Counties?
To empower communities across the Five Counties to thrive sustainably by fostering environmental resilience, social equality, and economic stability. Groundwork Five Counties will be a catalyst for transformative projects that restore nature, support communities in achieving net-zero goals, and create inclusive, green spaces that enhance wellbeing, inspire stewardship, and build a legacy of environmental and social resilience for future generations.
CO-CHAIR: SARAH CLARKE
What first drew you to Groundwork Five Counties?
I wanted to expand my knowledge and offer my skills to a regionally based organisation that focusses on environmental issues as well as supporting community activity. What a match!
What relevant experience do you bring to your role as Trustee?
I have broad experiences across the third sector. I have worked for various national charities, building and improving all kinds of services. I have also served on other boards, including as chair of an environmental social enterprise. I hope to support Groundwork Five Counties to continue to drive forward its governance.
What is your vision for Groundwork Five Counties?
My vision is that Groundwork Five Counties can continue to develop and deliver impactful work, in line with its mission and strategy.
AMINE BENKERMI
What first drew you to Groundwork Five Counties?
I’ve been keen to contribute more to my local communities and become more active and involved. Groundwork Five Counties’ mission and initiatives align perfectly with my own values and vision of how to empower everyday people whilst helping the environment.
What relevant experience do you bring to your role as Trustee?
I hope to better represent younger people and people of certain marginalised communities that could benefit from GWFC’s work, either as beneficiaries or volunteers. I also intend to use my experience in tech and project management to provide insight and steer the organisation towards the best possible direction.
What is your vision for Groundwork Five Counties?
An inclusive charity that is influential and able to not only help people in need, but also steer local and regional policies to reduce the number of people needing help in the first place and focus more on green initiatives.
DAVE ALLUM
What first drew you to Groundwork Five Counties?
I was hugely impressed with the passion the GWFC team have, in particular in the area of providing skills for employment. The values and beliefs held by the team align very strongly with my own values. I am passionate about supporting charities and felt that a role as trustee would provide opportunity for me to expand my skill set but also to be able to provide a fresh pair of eyes to support the organisation in the future. In short, I felt I could make a difference!
What relevant experience do you bring to your role as Trustee?
I am an audit partner in a national firm of Chartered accountants, providing services to both commercial and not for profit clients. My passion is the charity/not for profit sector and I blend the experience of commercial clients to provide innovative solutions to the challenges that charities face right now. I have lived experience of young adults needing employability support and am looking forward to bringing the professional skills and the lived experience. I have previously been a trustee of a local charity and have first-hand experience of the challenges this brings. I hope to make a real difference in ensuring the finances are healthy.
What is your vision for Groundwork Five Counties?
My vision is to help build a future proof organisation that is sustainable and able to make a real difference in the community, whilst maintaining its mission and purpose to serve those its set out to support.
ED WRIGHT
What first drew you to Groundwork Five Counties?
It’s all about supporting local people to live their lives more sustainably. Groundwork is a great regional charity which is much needed at this time. We hear on the news daily the catastrophic effects of climate change and the cost of living crisis – Groundwork Five Counties is empowering people to affect change for the better.
What relevant experience do you bring to your role as Trustee?
As a Commercial IP partner in national law firm Shakespeare Martineau, I have significant experience in heading and constructively contributing to relevant practice area and/or sector-focused teams. Shakespeare Martineau is a BCorp, meaning that health, social and environmental considerations all form a key part of our organisational DNA. I also act as an observer to the Medilink Midlands board and a panel member of Active Notts.
What is your vision for Groundwork Five Counties?
A multitude of meaningful successes in implementing and delivering Groundworks’ new Strategic Plan.
HELEN CLARKE
What first drew you to Groundwork Five Counties?
Providing support to people within their own communities, tailored to individual need with an environmental focus, are all things that I’m passionate about. I’m a huge advocate of bringing people together and empowering communities to become strong and resilient.
What relevant experience do you bring to your new role as Trustee?
Having worked in local government social housing management and for central government on the decarbonisation of social housing, I bring a range of property and people skills to support Groundworks in delivering its strategy.
What is your vision for Groundwork Five Counties?
To become a best practice example for delivery of community empowerment. With a clear focus on mission and strategy to ensure an ability to deliver, adapt and respond to the needs of the communities we serve.
HELEN SKINNER
What first drew you to Groundwork Five Counties?
I was appointed to represent Broxtowe Borough Council as Groundwork was one of our “outside bodies”.
What relevant experience do you bring to your new role as Trustee?
I am portfolio holder for Environment and Climate Change this brings with it an enormous challenge which I embrace with a passion. My second challenge is to try and improve the lives of the constituents whom I represent by facing and tackling the hardship and disadvantage which they experience in their daily lives. I feel that Groundwork fits well with my aspirations.
What is your vision for Groundwork Five Counties?
My vision for the organisation is that it will grow in confidence and be able to improve the life chances of ordinary people and the quality of the environment in which they find themselves.
NAZIBUR RAHMAN
What first drew you to Groundwork Five Counties?
I grew up in Mansfield, where struggles with economic, social, and educational deprivation are rife. I always looked to the Government to make a change. I have realised that was a false hope, and there is so much value, in helping people where they are, not through fancy policies, but through microdoses of meaningful community work. GWFC is a brilliant vehicle to do this, so I knew it’d be a great organisation to get involved with. I hope I can help in a way which keeps the team doing what they do best, in better ways.
What relevant experience do you bring to your role as Trustee?
I have previously served on the Board of Channels, a social mobility charity focused on the East Midlands. Being a trustee, in my view, is about working with the doers of the organisation, with their strategy. I’m keen to leverage best practices, frameworks for success, and a huge amount of passion garnered through both personal and professional endeavours to help the GWFC team to succeed. Ideally, I can be a force multiplier for the team; and I hope you hold me to account on that!
What is your vision for Groundwork Five Counties?
I think GWFC has a good playbook for impact – my vision is to help deliver that to more people, in a more effective and efficient way. There is no one way to help people, so I want to help the team tailor their approach to each area and set us up for success and the community for impact. No doubt, I will also be learning from the team. I want to keep a pulse on the issues affecting my community and be a more active member of Five Counties.
OLIVER JONES
What first drew you to Groundwork Five Counties?
The proximity to where I live in Nottingham and the great work you deliver for the community.
What relevant experience do you bring to your role as Trustee?
Experience in steering groups and management teams in my local community, and 20 years of Procurement expertise that could prove useful to the financial health of the organisation
What is your vision for Groundwork Five Counties?
To continue to build on the great work that has been achieved in the last few years, allowing the organisation to reach more residents and communities with value-added services.
REBECCA HARRINGTON-LEIGH
What first drew you to Groundwork Five Counties?
I was drawn to Groundwork Five Counties because its mission aligns closely with my values and experience. I’ve worked in the charity sector for over 20 years and I’m passionate about people, particularly those facing disadvantage in their lives and within their communities. Groundwork’s ethos resonates with me; I live in Nottingham and see this as an opportunity to share knowledge and expertise in a way that supports the charity to improve lives within my local region.
What relevant experience do you bring to your role as Trustee?
I am currently Chief Operating Officer at P3 charity, a national organisation that provides support services to a wide range of people facing social disadvantage. I have significant experience of working as part of our executive team to ensure P3 remains on mission, that we are a provider of choice, we are sustainable for the future and that we continuously seeks to drive quality and improvement whilst keeping people at the centre of everything we do.
What is your vision for Groundwork Five Counties?
My vision is that Groundwork Five Counties grow their offer across communities, building on the brilliant foundations they already have, to continue to drive and diversify programmes that are people, community and environment focused, building strength and resilience within their workforce to ensure their work is sustainable and delivering even more impact in the future.
REBEKKA YATES
What first drew you to Groundwork Five Counties?
I was drawn to Groundwork Five Counties’ approach of using practical action to support people in ways that also inject life and community into local areas while looking after the planet.
What relevant experience do you bring to your role as Trustee?
My professional background as a translator and report writer means I bring a global and intercultural perspective; living in Leicestershire and raising my children here has given me a personal connection to the needs of the local area. I have supported a number of small charities and held various roles in school governance, including providing support and challenge through periods of significant change.
What is your vision for Groundwork Five Counties?
I want to see Groundwork Five Counties become a go-to resource for individuals and funders across the area, building strategically from a sure foundation to enhance community resilience and deliver sustainable impact for people, places and planet.
