BLOG – Introducing Ben Gilchrist, Director of Communities & Neighbourhoods at Groundwork Greater Manchester
This week Groundwork Greater Manchester welcome Ben Gilchrist into the role of Director of Communities & Neighbourhoods, taking over from Michaela Howell, who leaves the trust and enters retirement. Ben will be overseeing the delivery of support and services within the directorate including community and youth services; fuel poverty, energy and homes projects; and urban nature recovery and stewardship projects. In this short blog, we find out a little more about him, his background and ambitions in the new role. Written in his own words.
Tell us a bit about your background?
Both my parents were social workers so concern for people and community was always part of my life and steered my career path. I’ve always been driven by my commitment to social and climate justice, and community development and empowerment. Values based working is really important to me. I love bringing people together and facilitating connections and collaboration to influence change.
This has led to 25 years in the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector in leadership roles in Greater Manchester and across the North West. This has included being CEO at Caritas Shrewsbury, and before that CEO at Community and Voluntary Action Tameside, and Deputy CEO at Action Together. This has brought me a lot of experience in partnership building, place-based working and asset based community development.
This experience all connects with what Groundwork is about. A few career highlights more recently were co-leading the UK’s only VCFSE Alliance Contract for Early Help with Wirral Council which won an MJ Transforming Lives Award in 2024. I also set up the GM Cancer Champions programme which brought together thousands of volunteers and shaped health commissioning. I was one of the co-founders of 10GM, the joint venture between GM’s infrastructure charities. I helped Caritas to build and open a new community centre in Crewe.
Why work at Groundwork?
I love Groundwork’s values which so closely match my own. The incredible range of work going on to improve life chances and skills for people and communities, all connected to nature recovery, is inspiring.
The “greener, fairer, stronger communities” mission completely aligns with my own personal and career-long commitment. Social justice and climate justice (and racial justice!) aren’t separate issues for me, they’re all connected. And being collaborative, caring and bold in how we do this fits perfectly with how I try to support others and to lead.
What are your priorities in the role?
The new 2030 strategy sets a really clear direction and I want to make sure we can deliver on this with and alongside communities. For me that means making sure our work is genuinely rooted in local strengths and concerns and co-designed with communities; reaches people who are the most marginalised; and building the kind of trusted, long-term partnerships that create lasting change.
I hope I can help deepen our place-based working across Greater Manchester through my network of contacts and work with the new Pride in Place opportunities and Live Well being key to this. I really want to build on existing collaboration and forge new cross-sector and cross-team work.
What motivates you outside work?
Family life in Old Trafford – my wife Laura and I have two children who both love playing football. Being outdoors on my bike or on foot. My Christian faith which shapes how I think about values, work and life.
I love getting out for a cycle ride but nothing long distance I should add. Sports I hope to one day get back into: fencing and badminton. I really enjoy thinking and debating about all things to do with politics and theology
Contact Ben
I’m really keen to get out and meet people to get to know them, their work and communities.
Please get in touch and we can book in a time to walk and talk.
Ben Gilchrist
Director of Communities & Neighbourhoods