Groundwork Federation Board

Oona was appointed as Groundwork Federation Chair in September 2024 and brings a wealth of experience from central and local government, business bodies and environmental campaigns.  When in Defra she designed Natural England to merge previously dispersed functions and create a more powerful voice for nature.  In the Local Government Association she supported local councils to better deliver the key environmental, social and economic services demanded by citizens.  As Chief Executive of the South East England Development Agency she brought together environmental and economic growth action across businesses and communities.  She is currently a fellow of Policy Connect, developing policy recommendations and campaigns including to drive the transition to net zero, and Chair of the Greening Campaign, tackling climate change at community level.

Faiza has worked in a number of civil society, policy and research roles which have ranged from advocating for girls’ rights to education in Nepal to supporting thousands of youth organisations across the UK. Faiza completed a MSc in Social Development Practice at UCL with the support of the Aziz Foundation and is currently a Senior Policy Lead at the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.  

Karen is Chief Executive of Groundwork North Wales and its subsidiaries Wild Ground and Refurbs Flintshire and is Vice Chair of the Federation Executive Team. Karen is a CIPFA-qualified accountant, and previously served as a non-executive director on the board of Natural Resources Wales for over seven years, before taking up the role of Independent Member and Chair of the Audit & Risk Assurance Committee for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in February 2023.  Karen is also an independent member of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee’s audit and risk assurance and people committees. She is the founder and trustee of the all-ability cycling charity Cycling 4 All.

Stuart is Chair of Groundwork Northamptonshire. He has significant experience in commercial management with a background in corporate finance and running large, complex pan-European businesses. An Associate of the Institute of Bankers, he retired in 2015 having been Senior Vice President of European Operations for First Data, part of the company’s small global leadership team.  He has held several private and public company Board positions including Lloyds TSB Cardnet and latterly served as Chair of Amsterdam-based European Monetary Services.  Stuart is Chair of the Audit & Remuneration Committee.

Tina is Vice Chair of the Federation Board and Chair of Groundwork Greater Manchester.  She works as Director of Corporate Services and Company Secretary for Bolton at Home. Throughout her 30-year career in social housing Tina has supported individuals and communities to transform their lives; a shared synergy with Groundwork’s mission. Tina is an advocate for community empowerment and has witnessed what can be achieved when people unite under a common banner. As a nature lover, she is particularly passionate about the importance of greening urban areas, providing green spaces where people can come together, grow fresh food and connect with nature.

Patrick is Chair of Groundwork East.  Having spent most of his career in DWP running Jobcentre services he now runs a small strategy consultancy focusing on spreading good practice in the employment and employability sectors in the UK and Europe.  This includes curating a rolling programme of strategy dinners and the annual summit for the Institute of Employability Professionals.  He was recently appointed Chair of Lewisham College Board and is a former trustee of Clarion Futures, the charitable arm of the Clarion Housing Group, and a past Vice Chair of the disability charity Papworth Trust.

Margot is Chair of Groundwork Five Counties.  She began her career as a chartered librarian before qualifying as a chartered accountant with KPMG.  She was an audit partner at UHY Hacker Young in Nottingham until 2020 where she was a national specialist for charities and not-for-profit/membership organisations. She has acted as independent examiner and auditor for a wide range of local and national charities over the past twenty-five years, and helped to set up the Nottingham (now East Midlands) Charities Forum.  Margot has been a trustee of a number of charities, including the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and the national charity Home-Start UK.  She has spoken at seminars and written articles and blogs advising trustees and directors in the third sector on a wide range of issues. 

Claire is a co-opted board member and Chair of the Groundwork UK Committee. She is the Chief Executive of a charity delivering support services to adults and children experiencing the trauma of domestic abuse and sexual violence. She is an experienced charity leader and was a professional fundraiser for 25 years, having held roles in RNIB, Cancer Research UK, Air Ambulance and the Hospice sector. Claire is also a Trustee of the CareTech Foundation.

Antony is Chair of Groundwork Yorkshire. Starting his professional career as an occupational therapist, he has worked in service improvement, transformation, programme management and organisational development roles in and across various public sector organisations. He has also worked as a consultant implementing change initiatives in the NHS, local authorities, public bodies and businesses. Alongside his work as an independent consultant, he is a Non-Executive Director at Wakefield District Housing, a Non-Executive Director of Heartbeat Primary Care, the General Practice Federation in Hambleton and Richmondshire, a Trustee at Nova, the Wakefield VCSE Sector umbrella organisation, and Independent Chair of two Primary Care Networks in the Northwest of England. 

James is Chair of Groundwork Wales.  He is Director of Nature Recovery and Regenerative Tourism at Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, an advisory board member at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and a board member at PLANED in Pembrokeshire.  James moved to Wales initially to lead a project to increase lottery investment in grassroots sporting facilities across ex-coalfield communities in south Wales.  He went on to undertake a Postgraduate Diploma in Urban Regeneration at Cardiff University and to work in the Communities First team at Rhondda-Cynon-Taf County Borough Council and then at the former Groundwork Caerphilly as Environmental Regeneration Manager.  He subsequently moved to the Countryside Council for Wales leading strategic programmes to address health inequalities and promote wellbeing.  While there he established the UK Outdoor Health Forum and helped to co-create the National Principles for Public Engagement in Wales with Participation Cymru. 

Graham is Director of Youth, Employment & Skills for Groundwork London and Groundwork South and is Chair of the Federation Executive Team. Since joining Groundwork in 1993 on a 12-week student work placement, he has held positions in five Groundwork Trusts across the Midlands, North and South of England.  In that time he has pioneered the development of intermediate labour markets in ex-mining communities, led teams delivering a major Future Jobs Fund programme in Greater Manchester and developed bespoke programmes in London to support people with disabilities, refugees & asylum seekers and young people at risk of gang violence. 

Nigel is Chair of Groundwork North Wales. A chartered management accountant, he has had a long career in public service and environmental management, including 15 years as Finance Director for The Environment Agency. Before that, he had roles with Wessex Water Authority and the National Rivers Authority. Since retiring, Nigel has developed a non-executive portfolio including roles on the boards of the Marine Management Organisation, Natural England, Natural Resources Wales and the Animal & Plant Health Agency. He currently chairs the Welsh Government’s Health, Social Services & Early Years Group’s Audit & Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC), and is a member of Welsh Government’s over-arching ARAC. He is also an independent member of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee’s ARAC and People Committee and has been appointed as JNCC ARAC’s interim chair. He combines this with a “showbiz” career as a singer at care homes and local community centres in Somerset, with all proceeds going to charity. Nigel was awarded a CBE for services to the environment in 2003.

Paul is a trustee of Groundwork Cheshire, Lancashire & Merseyside. He has worked with the Environment Agency on the use of charges to fund the transformation of water industry regulation and on ways to increase investment in river catchments to improve local environments. Paul has also advised government on embedding environmental sustainability into local growth programmes. 

Anne-Marie is Chair of Groundwork West Midlands.  She is owner of an independent hospitality business and gin production and distribution company. She was formerly an advisor to Frontier Development Capital, an alternative investment fund management company driving growth in accessible home ownership. Anne-Marie has a background in public sector land, development, housing and business practice, working at a senior level within a number of Government organisations across the Midlands.  She is a Council Member of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Chamber of Commerce. 

Andrew is Chair of Groundwork North East & Cumbria and a trustee of Groundwork South & North Tyneside. He has 35 years’ management experience across the public, private and voluntary sectors, including posts with the East Midlands Development Agency and as CEO of Lincolnshire Enterprise, delivering the Agency’s agenda in the county. Andrew is a member of the Institute for Economic Development. 

Jack is a trainee solicitor at Womble Bond Dickinson. He has previously worked for Urban Green Newcastle, the charitable trust that manages Newcastle’s parks. Outside of work and studies Jack is a keen runner and volunteers weekly as a Cub Leader.