The Board
The board is made up of six members . . .
Zenna Atkins
Albert Tucker
Christopher Noden
Liz James
Irene Jackson
Zenna Atkins is an acclaimed Social Entrepreneur. She is an executive consultant for Social Solutions, a social sector consultancy company, dedicated to building capacity and maximising opportunities for the third sector, specialising in Social Enterprise development and sustainability. She is Chairman of Ofsted, the children and learners inspection and regulation body and the Group Chairman of Places for People, a national property development and management company dedicated to creating neighbourhoods of choice for all, managing 58 thousand properties, building 1700 homes a year. She is the Non Executive Director on the Royal Navy Fleet executive board and Audit Committee chair and also a trustee of the Olympic Legacy Trust.
She has a national reputation, is a sought after conference speaker and is an advisor on governmental panels and committees, exploring a range of issues including health, social engagement and social entrepreneurship. Zenna is a regular columnist for the guardian and has extensive publications in the health and housing press.
Albert Tucker is from Sierra Leone and has worked in the public and private sectors. He was Director of Twin Trading, a pioneering fair trade company, (Fairtrade brands, 1997-2006) and Fairtrade Adviser; Community Services Manager (1991-97); Co-ordinator, Notting Hill Social Council (1986-91); Customer Services Manager, Sanyo Marubeni (1980-83); and member of research board of Centre for Tomorrow's Company. He is also a general member of the BIG board. The board is responsible for overseeing the running of lottery distributor BIG, which replaces two former lottery distributors. The fund awards £600 million of lottery money a year to good causes throughout the UK. Albert has also been trustee of Comic Relief (and chair of its international grants committee). He is currently working as a consultant with the Latin American fair trade producers network CLAC, looking at the future of fair trade.
Christopher Noden is an experienced writer, researcher and project manager, primarily in the fields of young people, education, regeneration and community. He has a degree in human sciences and was awarded a distinction in his post-graduate magazine journalism course in 2003. Christopher worked for seven years in a residential home for young people with significant needs, then for six years for an education business partnership, managing projects to enhance the educational and social experience of young people in Portsmouth. He then moved into the field of research, working for both the National College for School Leadership and Social Solutions Limited. He has a good deal of writing experience, including commissions for the South East England Development Agency, Regeneration & Renewal Magazine, Life Long Learning UK, the University of Wolverhampton and the Centre for the use of research and evidence in education (CUREE). Christopher currently splits his time between freelance work and caring for his young daughter.
Liz James works as an Education Senior Research Assistant in the Health Care Innovation Unit at the University of Southampton. Her work focuses on widening access to education for health care employees through the Lifelong Learning Network. Liz also works part-time as a senior consultant for Social Solutions Ltd, a not for profit company which specializes in providing entrepreneurial business development, social research, capacity building and income generation predominantly in the public and voluntary sector. Liz has been commissioned to conduct qualitative research and evaluations by Portsmouth City Council, the Government of the South of England, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the British Heart Foundation.
Prior to moving into social research, Liz has had experience working with adolescents in a residential therapeutic community, before training as a teacher of foreign languages. She has also lived and worked in France, Germany, Spain and the USA, employed both as a teacher and by the International Voluntary Service. She now lives in Southsea with her two children aged 13 years and 10 years.
Irene Jackson is a qualified social worker, working initially for Hampshire County Council and then for Portsmouth City Council for 10 years until 2000. Irene specialised in child protection working, in partnership with the police.
Irene is also a qualified family mediator and works on a self-employed basis helping couples with separation, divorce and family conflict. Irene has experience of residential care working for the Inner London Education Authority as a residential social worker for 6 years. There she worked with children who were unable to be educated in mainstream education. Irene has also worked as a youth club leader for Avon Youth Services, and set up a service for disadvantaged young women.
Finally Irene was employed as a youth worker for Northampton Council for Voluntary Services. She was responsible for assisting young people to set up projects in the community. These community projects were set up by young people for young people, the aim being to get young people involved in their communities, to value their communities and to keep them out of the criminal justice system.
Irene has previous board experience and was a Non Executive Director for Portsmouth City Primary Care Trust for 5 years.
James Fillingham is a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, the professional services firm. Based in London, he advises clients undertaking transactions such as acquisitions and disposals, and is also responsible for the welfare of a team of over 500 employees within his division at PwC. He has a degree in Accounting & Economics from Exeter University and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Throughout his career, James has been involved in people development and coaching, and continues to act as mentor for many staff.
James is relatively new to the third sector, and was introduced to dreamwall via PwC’s Responsible Leadership Programme. He recently spent 2 months working full time alongside Brett Rennolds, dreamwall’s Executive Founder, meeting with stakeholder groups and funders, helping to shape and realise the vision. In addition to the application of his commercial skills and experience, he has spent a number of weekends working with young people to understand the issues they face first hand.
James lives in Hampshire with his wife and young son.