We are a small, friendly team based in Knaresborough, with a big ambition to create a Yorkshire where every person is empowered to thrive in their life and work.
The Better Connect immediate family consists of our amazing staff members who are united in their passion for our mission but unique in their specific contribution of skills, qualities and substantial talents.
Introducing our staff team…
Alex’s is the Programmes Director at Better Connect, overseeing the amazing programmes that we manage across the organisation. Leading and supporting the Programmes and Impact Team, Alex’s role has a strong focus on development. This includes developing staff, systems, processes and relationships with delivery partners, funders and stakeholders. All to ensure that Better Connect programmes are successful, achieve their aims and ultimately transform people’s lives. Alex is also an Executive Director and member of the Board, contributing to the strategic direction of the company. The best bit of his job is seeing the life-changing impact that Better Connect programmes have on those involved.
— Kahlil Gibran
Alex has a BSc (Hons) degree in Psychology, a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management and a PTLLS teaching qualification. Alex began his career in customer service, moved to work in banking and then joined Better Connect following University in 2012. He felt a strong connection to the values and work within the community sector and has developed his career within the Better Connect, progressing from an Assistant to his current role as Programmes Director. Along the way, Alex has worked across almost every aspect of the company. For Alex, the most important part of work is feeling as though it is meaningful and that it is making a positive difference to society.
Becomes overly competitive when playing sport or games
Count your blessings, every day.
I am the Community Anchor Support Programme Manager at Community First Yorkshire, working closely with Better Connect to deliver the Community Anchor Support Programme. My role involves planning, monitoring, and reporting on programme progress, collaborating with key stakeholders, and providing tailored support to Community Anchor Organisations across North Yorkshire.
What I enjoy most about my role is seeing how the work we do helps empower local communities to thrive. The variety in the programme keeps me motivated, and I appreciate working in partnership with such passionate and dedicated colleagues.
Qualifications and Professional Membership:
I hold qualifications in Charity Law & Governance from the Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland and an Award in Education and Training (AET). Additionally, I am accredited as a Community Led Homes Advisor, and trained in Accounting & Financial Statements for Non-Profit Organisations. I am also a certified Mental Health First Aider and have a Level 2 certification in Information, Advice, and Guidance.
Career History and Experience:
With over five years in the charity sector, I’ve worked as a Development Officer at Community First Yorkshire, where I provide tailored capacity-building support to voluntary organisations. Prior to this, I spent 12 years in local government roles, including HR Workforce Development Officer, Early Years Training Manager, and Lead Officer for Young Adult Carers. My experience includes leadership, securing funding, training delivery, and strategic planning.
Why This Work Matters:
This work is essential because it empowers local organisations to strengthen their communities. By supporting community anchors, we help to reduce inequalities, foster resilience, and improve social and economic regeneration, creating lasting positive change for individuals and the places they call home.
I thrive on challenges! I've climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and even ran the Coast to Coast in England.
Life can be tough, but staying positive and surrounding yourself with uplifting people makes all the difference.
Christine’s role as the Multiply Manager, is to lead on all aspects of this multi-million pound Government funded initiative, to improve confidence and ability in adult numeracy. Her primary objective, is to support an effective partnership through working together to share best practice, build relationships with employers, education institutes and participants, to deliver a successful and meaningful programme.
Her key focus is to provide proactive management support for the partnership and the funders. Bringing together organisations that can influence and change the way numeracy is perceived and measured in the future, with a view to making more jobs accessible to more people.
Christine developed her skills whilst working for many years in the Financial Sector in Customer Services and Marketing. There she established a keen eye for detail, negotiating skills, and creative thinking. Gaining skills in organisation, people management and leadership, in particular.
She joined Better Connect in 2020, when she was at a crossroads and realised that working in the voluntary and community sector would be more meaningful and rewarding than being driven by profit. Working for and with people who value people and who operate inclusively without discrimination is a reward every day.
I’m a mean painter and decorator
Don’t stress over things you cannot control, it’s a waste of your precious energy
The Pembrokeshire Coast – beautifully unspoilt
As Head of Operations, Debs keeps Better Connect organised. She supports the CEO, Directors and the Board in their work to continuously improve the organisation. She also works with the wider Better Connect team to ensure we have the systems and processes we need for managing our projects, supporting our partners, and to be effective in our individual roles. Debs loves to plan and organise, and being able to do this in support of our colleagues and partners, developing systems and structures that support everyone to do their best work, that’s what she enjoys about the role.
Debs has a BSc (Hons) in Psychology & Philosophy, but it was her extra-curricular interests whilst at University of Leeds that shaped her early career. A member of the Psychology Society, the Philosophy Society, the Swimming and Snowsports clubs, a Nightline volunteer, and a mentor to local school children, it was no surprise that Debs started working in Students’ Unions. For 10 years she supported various student-led clubs, societies and volunteer groups at two universities. She even tutored on the development programme for Students’ Union officers run by the National Union of Students. It was her enjoyment of the work supporting different groups to deliver activities and benefits to others that led her to join Better Connect in 2017 as Programmes Manager. Debs has since fulfilled a few roles at Better Connect before taking on her Operations role.
Volunteering and contributing to her community remained important to Debs, and she was a school governor for 8 years, including 2 years a Chair of Governors. This has added strategic experience to more operational day-jobs.
Through her years of experience managing various programmes and events, Debs has honed her natural skills for planning and organising. Now a mum to a lively little boy, Debs’ ability to get things done, and keep the team organised have been dialled up a notch!
A competitive swimmer up until the age of 21, butterfly was my strongest stroke, although I am surprisingly short for a swimmer!
Northumberland and it’s wilderness
So many books, there isn’t just one! One favourite though, is the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. If you actually could jump into books this is what it would be like, and if you like language and wordsmithery, you will definitely like these books!
Emily is one of the Finance and Audit Co-ordinators for Better Connect. She started this role in January 2022 after finishing her time on her Kickstart role . Her responsibilities now include checking financial claims, audit work, elements of book keeping, and maintaining partner relationships. For Emily, the best parts about the job are the welcoming environment created by everyone, and knowing that the work she’s doing is helping to make a difference in people’s lives.
— Stephen King
Emily has a BA (Hons) in Equestrian Management and Development from Myerscough College. She previously worked at Subway and has experience working in the equine industry. Working in an organisation like Better Connect is a first for Emily and she has enjoyed the progression from Kickstart Assistant, to a fulltime member of the finance team.
Emily is excited to learn more about the workings of the voluntary sector and how she can be a part of it. She’s passionate about getting involved with promotional activities for Better Connects’ programmes, reading people’s experiences, and supporting the network of partners across the projects.
I knew how to ride a horse before I knew how to ride a bike
The lake/ponds local to where I live
Emma is Head of Business Development for Better Connect, working closely with the senior leadership team to find new funding and partnership programme opportunities that support organisations and people to thrive in their life and work. She works closely with existing and potential new delivery partners, external stakeholders and funders to create opportunities that will benefit local communities across Yorkshire.
Emma has a BA (Hons) in Physical Education and an NVQ Level 2 in Playwork.
Emma worked for 15 years at Harrogate Borough Council within the Community Development Team, providing social inclusion activities to members of the local community. She joined Better Connect in July 2016 and has been very fortunate to contribute to a variety of projects as Programmes Manager including Talent Match, Action Towards Inclusion and Thriving at Work. She is looking forward to a long career at Better Connect, continuing to learn, grown and contribute to both the organisation and wider programmes.
Emma is a strong believer that all people should have the opportunity to thrive in life and in the workplace. Better Connect and our programmes play a vital role in helping/supporting this to happen and it is a privilege to be able to contribute to this.
Qualified Cricket Coach & played County Cricket until the age of 23
Always do your best. Its better to try and fail than it is not to try at all
Australia and Italy – I love them both equally and it’s too hard to make a choice!
Hannah is our Impact Manager at Better Connect. Her role is to show the impact that Better Connect and our programmes are making in many different ways such as through social media, our website, networking, events and presentations. Hannah is passionate about creating positive environments that people feel safe to be themselves in, especially at work. She loves building strong relationships with partners, meeting new people and really getting to know why people are the way they are and why they do what they do!
Hannah loves being creative and getting into ‘flow’ with her work. She loves making things and being involved in the creative process. Hannah loves working for Better Connect because she gets to have variety in her role and appreciates the positive culture and focus on wellbeing.
— Glennon Doyle
Hannah has a BA (Hons) in Theatre, specialising in working with and supporting Young People with learning difficulties and mental health issues to gain confidence and feel safe in positive spaces. She thrives in a creative environment and tries to bring those skills into everything she does at Better Connect.
Hannah began her career at 16, working in customer facing roles until the age of 23. She will always be grateful for the experience she gained in these roles and feel that they helped her to engage with partners and stakeholders. After finishing University, Hannah worked at York Theatre Royal as a Research and Evaluation Graduate Intern. Whilst at the Theatre, Hannah learnt about the voluntary sector and began volunteering with various community groups in York delivering theatre-style workshops to vulnerable people.
Hannah has worked at Better Connect since 2017, starting in the Programmes Team as an Assistant. Since then, she has worked across various funding streams and programmes, working her way up to becoming a Programme Manager in 2020. Now our Impact Manager, Hannah is inspired every day by the amazing work that partners do in their communities and loves that she can have a role that helps highlight the impact both Better Connect and our partners are making. She loves being part of an organisation that wants to make a positive difference in the world.
Hannah is also a Trustee for a charity based in Leeds called Purple Patch Arts. Purple Patch Arts exists to provide innovative, inclusive, creative learning opportunities that improve the lives of learning-disabled and autistic adults by expanding their understanding of, and engagement with, the world.
Obsessed with TV Chef, Rick Stein (and cooking programmes/food in general!)
Dogs! I have my own dog called Boba, who is named after the bounty hunter in Star Wars Boba Fett!
Jacky is our Finance and Data Manager and is responsible for data collation, research, compliance, analysis and reporting for our projects as well as undertaking Internal Audits and supporting and coaching the Finance team.
Jacky really enjoys Analytical work and likes to think she has an eye for detail! She is a natural organiser and feels lucky to be part of a team where people are valued and listened to. Better Connect is a supportive and welcoming environment and everyone is so friendly.
Jacky has a background in the Commercial and Financial industry and over the last 17 years she has worked in roles where she has done a mixture of Business Support, Audits, Finance, HR, Research, Data, Analysis and Systems support. Here at Better Connect, Jacky feels that she can use the skills she has gained throughout her career to thrive in her role at a company where she truly believed in their values.
Jacky started at Better Connect in November 2020 as a Finance and Audit Co-ordinator responsible for checking financial claims and undertaking Audit work. Since then, she progressed into becoming the Finance and Data Manager in 2022 where she feels she is able to utilise her Analytical, Organisational, Finance and Management skills further which she thoroughly enjoys.
Jacky really enjoys working alongside amazing people who support and encourage each other and being part of an organization who really care about each other and help make a difference in transforming people’s lives.
I love older music, particularly 60s Music!
It’s nice to be nice, so treat people how you would like to be treated.
Madeira – It’s so beautiful, dramatic and inspiring
Joe is the Programme Manager on both Rise2Thrive and SHINE.
He manages partners on the programme, supporting them to achieve targets and ensuring high quality delivery. He most enjoys seeing first-hand all the incredible work partners do with their participants in the community.
— Gloria Gaynor
Joe has a BA in Philosophy and is also mental health first aid trained.
Previously Joe worked in a Leeds school as a literacy tutor and then briefly at an insurance firm as an administrative assistant. He then joined Better Connect in 2017, as a programme coordinator: assisting partners and ensuring all their paperwork and claims were correct. He then became a manager, steering ATI towards success.
He also contributes to Better Connect’s marketing strategy and ATI’s focus on equality, diversity and inclusion.
This work matters to Joe because it creates tangible positive results for so many people – from improved mental health to giving people employment opportunities. He loves that the programmes unlock people’s full potential.
Is an amateur DJ
Thailand
Be kind to others, and to yourself
Jonah is one of the Finance and Audit Coordinator at Better Connect. Internally, he assists staff in finance functions through auditing. Externally, he assists our partners on the Multiply and RISE programmes. The best part of his job is constantly learning and being challenged as well as the amazing team he works within.
— Mahatma Gandhi
Jonah started his career in a multinational financial technology company and progressed to Better Connect in 2019. He originally started out as a Programmes Coordinator and has since moved into a more finance focused role.
Jonah believes that the third sector is a vital part of creating a kinder and more inclusive society.
St Andrews Golf Course
The Lord of the Rings
Julie is Director of Finance at Better Connect. She works on strategy to ensure the business is sustainable, using forecasting and scenarios. She monitors the numbers, cash and variances. Her favourite part of her job is teaching new skills, tips and tricks to her team. Julie loves sharing knowledge and developing people.
Julie is secretary of CIMA Members in Practice Panel, providing UK-wide support and access to quality training and development resources. She helped CIMA feed into Treasury how to better help small businesses during the COVID-19 crisis.
— David Bowie
Julie is a CIMA accountant with FCMA and CGMA designations.
Julie has previously worked in engineering as Finance Director and latterly as Managing Director. Whilst there, Julie worked with local schools to provide advice, support and funding for GCSE students enabling them to build Miniature F1 cars and visit the factory to understand internal processes.
Julie has spoken at business events and presented webinars for CIMA.
Julie has her own business providing outsourced FD services – Not Just an FD.
Julie is a qualified cub scout leader and has volunteered with People in Action social group for adults with learning difficulties.
Always show kindness & respect to others
Labyrinth starring David Bowie
Julie is Head of Programme Finance and audit, so is responsible for ensuring the programme operates compliantly within all the funding regulations. She particularly loves the nitty gritty detail and finding solutions to help smooth out any issues. The best thing about working here is the fabulous team of people and the genuine culture of nurture and support.
— Henry Van Dyke
Julie has a BA (Hons) in Urban Geography and a Certificate in Management from Leeds University. She began her career piloting and running projects within the Chamber of Commerce and then later with the then Training and Enterprise Council. She took a career break whilst bringing up her children and worked part-time in a call centre for a well-known bank where she gained valuable experience of frontline customer service. Following redundancy, Julie set up her own business which she ran for several years until being drawn back into programme management, ultimately leading her to Better Connect in 2018.
Julie is a strong believer in the provision of opportunities for everyone and this runs through the core of Better Connect.
Be a mindful spender – Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves
Nidd Gorge and the stunning wooded walks
A keen storyteller & collaborator, Laura works alongside Hannah as the Impact Coordinator, where she measures and highlights the impact of Better Connect across its business, programmes, and partnerships. She does so by working with a range of people to gather information and stories, which she then translates into engaging content across Better Connect’s channels.
Building relationships is a large part of Laura’s role, alongside ensuring the ‘’Better Connect story’’ is woven throughout all communications.
Laura’s favourite part of the role is connecting with the faces behind the case studies and giving voice to their experiences.
— Oscar Wilde
Laura formerly spent 2 years working as a Participant Experience Coordinator on one of Better Connects’ ESF & Lottery funded projects, Action Towards Inclusion. She is a huge advocate for sustainable social change, and believes this begins with supporting and empowering individuals, and championing social inclusion.
Within this role, she managed the collaboration between partners, keyworkers, and participants on an administrative and ESF/National Lottery compliant scale. She also tracked the ‘Participant Journey’ from start to finish, following participant engagement across the programme.
Laura has a first-class BA (Hons) in English Language and Literature from the University of Sheffield.
Sheffield / Mwnt (Wales)
Was in an amateur production at Harrogate Theatre
Natasha is the Chief Executive Officer at Better Connect. Natasha is proud to be leading this amazing team at Better Connect who are helping to make Yorkshire a place where every person can thrive in life and work. Better Connect has a great track record of delivery, partnership working and an incredibly committed team which are helping to transform lives. Natasha joined in May 2022 and instantly connected with the team and our vision. Natasha is focused on empowering the team and our partners to do more and be more. She absolutely loves being part of a team who are so full of purpose, thrive on autonomy and are experts in what we do. But it’s not just about the impact we are making and achieving our goals for Natasha, it’s about how we do it and having loads of fun along the way.
— Dalai Lama
Natasha has always enjoyed working in roles which are focused on enabling people and businesses to thrive in the North.
Before joining Better Connect as CEO, Natasha worked at Relate Bradford & Leeds helping people to develop and sustain healthy relationships and improve their mental health and wellbeing. She has been an entrepreneur and COO of Wizu Workspace a flexible workspace provider supporting the growth of businesses in Bradford, Leeds and Sheffield.
Natasha completed an MBA at Leeds University in 2016, where she is now a leader in residence. She then went on to be Regional Entrepreneur Director for NatWest supporting and helping to coach hundreds of entrepreneurs in accelerators across the North to start, scale and succeed. Natasha has both a banking and legal background. She worked as a banking lawyer at Walker Morris following which she joined Regional Lloyds Bank team as the Regional Sales Director and Client Services Director.
Natasha was appointed as a board member and trustee in 2021 for Trust Leeds, she has been on LEP investment steering groups, she has recently been appointed as an independent panel member at AFC(H) and is completing a NED insights programme shadowing NHS boards.
I love grass roots football! I play for Leeds City Lasses and help coach under 8 and 9 girls football. (I love playing sports…I might be just a little bit competitive!)
Outside of your comfort zone is where the magic happens
Sybille is the programme coordinator for both Rise2Thrive and SHINE, and works alongside Joe (Programme Manager), managing partner relationships, project paperwork and the ins and outs of partnership collaboration. She was formerly one of the Finance and Audit Co-ordinators, and has been with us since March 2022.
— Mother Teresa
I was born in Heidelberg in Germany where I lived until the age of 25 before moving to Yorkshire with my family. I studied psychology, anatomy and physiology and initially worked with people of all ages with hearing loss and hearing difficulty.
Having worked in healthcare, private sector and the NHS for several years in various roles, I feel very privileged to learn about the voluntary sector and the lifechanging difference this makes for so many individuals and even more privileged to be a part of a warm, dedicated and enthusiastic team.
I love anything creative and am always making something
Act as if what you do makes a difference, it does - William James
If you think you would like to join our team, you can find out more about what it’s like to work at Better Connect and see our existing opportunities on our Careers page.
— Chris Hailey-Norris, Chief Officer, Selby District AVS
— Emily Havercroft – Director of Making Things Happen
— Elizabeth Marshall Operations Manager – Orb Community Enterprise
— Max May – Director and CEO of Rural Arts
— CJ Allison – Yorkshire Employability Manager – Resume Foundation
As a not-for-profit company, we’re extremely lucky to be supported by a highly skilled and (we think) pretty impressive Board of Directors.
Our Directors all have experience of senior leadership roles with non-profits or governmental organisations and provide strategic leadership, creative thinking and accountability to our Executive Team.
Introducing our Board…
Alex’s is the Programmes Director at Better Connect, overseeing the amazing programmes that we manage across the organisation. Leading and supporting the Programmes and Impact Team, Alex’s role has a strong focus on development. This includes developing staff, systems, processes and relationships with delivery partners, funders and stakeholders. All to ensure that Better Connect programmes are successful, achieve their aims and ultimately transform people’s lives. Alex is also an Executive Director and member of the Board, contributing to the strategic direction of the company. The best bit of his job is seeing the life-changing impact that Better Connect programmes have on those involved.
— Kahlil Gibran
Alex has a BSc (Hons) degree in Psychology, a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management and a PTLLS teaching qualification. Alex began his career in customer service, moved to work in banking and then joined Better Connect following University in 2012. He felt a strong connection to the values and work within the community sector and has developed his career within the Better Connect, progressing from an Assistant to his current role as Programmes Director. Along the way, Alex has worked across almost every aspect of the company. For Alex, the most important part of work is feeling as though it is meaningful and that it is making a positive difference to society.
Becomes overly competitive when playing sport or games
Count your blessings, every day.
I am a lecturer and researcher at the University of York School for Business and Society. My main areas of research focus on mental health, employment support and the UK welfare system. Since 2021, I have been collaborating with Better Connect on research evaluations of their amazing projects, and I’m delighted to now be supporting the strategic direction of the organisation. I am interested in understanding how programmes achieve impact, who they work for and why. I hope that my connections to the wider research and policy community will help to showcase Better Connect as thought leaders and promote knowledge exchange and learning opportunities.
Annie is a Lecturer in Social Policy and Public Management at the University of York School for Business and Society. Prior to this she held Research Fellow roles at the Centre for Society and Mental Health, King’s College London, the Social Policy Research Unit at the University of York, and the National Foundation for Educational Research. She holds a PhD in Social Policy and a Masters in Social Research Methods.
Annie specialises in qualitative research on mental health, employment and welfare, seeking to understand the multitude of complex factors that support or challenge people’s ability to gain and sustain work that is right for them. Her research is driven by a commitment to real-world relevance and producing clear and practical evidence that can help to inform policy and practice.
In my fantasy life, I am one of the chorus girls in Little Shop of Horrors
Home
I am Chief Executive of Two Ridings Community Foundation and joined Better Connect as a Director because I could see the impact of the team and wanted to learn and support the organisation. As fellow funders, albeit in different ways, of the VCSE in our region, I am passionate about how we support leaders to grow and develop. I also think having a good handle on an organisation’s finances is essential and took on the role of chair of the finance committee to put my principles into practice! All my interactions with the Better Connect team make me proud of what is being achieved. The leadership and the financial resourcefulness are outstanding.
Jan is CEO of Two Ridings Community Foundation. Two Ridings Community Foundation is a charity that provides grants & support – to local groups improving lives and communities in North & East Yorkshire – from funds that it maintains and administers on behalf of multiple donors. Jan came to this role after a career in the private and public sector in the Northeast of England, working at Sage, Newcastle City Council and as a consultant. Having been brought up in Sheffield and then studied history at the University of York she had always wanted to return to her Yorkshire roots so when the role at Two Ridings came up, she jumped at the chance. Since joining Two Ridings in 2014 she has grown the organisation in the scale of grant making, long term funds secured for the benefit of the area and reputation as a proactive, friendly grant maker.
Jan has a Masters in Marketing and is a member of the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership Board, a Fellow of Langwith College University of York and a volunteer at her local community shop.
I was first female station manager for British Rail in the North at the tender age of 23
Being positive always gets you further than being negative
Julie is Director of Finance at Better Connect. She works on strategy to ensure the business is sustainable, using forecasting and scenarios. She monitors the numbers, cash and variances. Her favourite part of her job is teaching new skills, tips and tricks to her team. Julie loves sharing knowledge and developing people.
Julie is secretary of CIMA Members in Practice Panel, providing UK-wide support and access to quality training and development resources. She helped CIMA feed into Treasury how to better help small businesses during the COVID-19 crisis.
— David Bowie
Julie is a CIMA accountant with FCMA and CGMA designations.
Julie has previously worked in engineering as Finance Director and latterly as Managing Director. Whilst there, Julie worked with local schools to provide advice, support and funding for GCSE students enabling them to build Miniature F1 cars and visit the factory to understand internal processes.
Julie has spoken at business events and presented webinars for CIMA.
Julie has her own business providing outsourced FD services – Not Just an FD.
Julie is a qualified cub scout leader and has volunteered with People in Action social group for adults with learning difficulties.
Always show kindness & respect to others
Labyrinth starring David Bowie
Max is a consultant working across the creative industries and the VCSE sector. He is currently Strategic Director of North Yorkshire Together, a partnership between North Yorkshire Sport, North Yorkshire Youth and Rural Arts, where he was previously Director and CEO. Max was born and raised in North Yorkshire, and is passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion. He’s passionate about Better Connect’s mission to support people to thrive in their life and at work, and is particularly committed to the development of the VCSE sector to achieve this.
— Margaret Mead
Max is a North Yorkshire born and bred creative industries and VCSE sector leader with expertise in strategy, organisational development, business planning, innovation, fundraising and partnership development. He’s passionate about access, equity and inclusion, believing fundamentally in the role culture can play in the development of successful individuals and thriving communities. With over a decade of experience, he’s networked with senior leaders across the creative industries, VCSE sector and statutory bodies, with a nuanced understanding of cultural, regional and national policy.
For four years he led North Yorkshire arts charity Rural Arts through significant expansion, a capital redevelopment of its Grade II listed arts centre, a rebrand – and a pandemic. He currently leads North Yorkshire Together, a partnership between North Yorkshire Youth, North Yorkshire Sport and Rural Arts, which works to make the county’s residents happier and healthier. He also undertakes bid-writing, business planning and more for a range of freelance clients, as well as providing mentoring and training for individual.
Max holds an MA (First Class Honours) from the University of Glasgow, and an MBA with Distinction from York Business School. He is a fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, the Chartered Institute of Fundraising and of the Royal Society of Arts.
I carried the Queen’s Baton for the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games
To Kill A Mockingbird
Natasha is the Chief Executive Officer at Better Connect. Natasha is proud to be leading this amazing team at Better Connect who are helping to make Yorkshire a place where every person can thrive in life and work. Better Connect has a great track record of delivery, partnership working and an incredibly committed team which are helping to transform lives. Natasha joined in May 2022 and instantly connected with the team and our vision. Natasha is focused on empowering the team and our partners to do more and be more. She absolutely loves being part of a team who are so full of purpose, thrive on autonomy and are experts in what we do. But it’s not just about the impact we are making and achieving our goals for Natasha, it’s about how we do it and having loads of fun along the way.
— Dalai Lama
Natasha has always enjoyed working in roles which are focused on enabling people and businesses to thrive in the North.
Before joining Better Connect as CEO, Natasha worked at Relate Bradford & Leeds helping people to develop and sustain healthy relationships and improve their mental health and wellbeing. She has been an entrepreneur and COO of Wizu Workspace a flexible workspace provider supporting the growth of businesses in Bradford, Leeds and Sheffield.
Natasha completed an MBA at Leeds University in 2016, where she is now a leader in residence. She then went on to be Regional Entrepreneur Director for NatWest supporting and helping to coach hundreds of entrepreneurs in accelerators across the North to start, scale and succeed. Natasha has both a banking and legal background. She worked as a banking lawyer at Walker Morris following which she joined Regional Lloyds Bank team as the Regional Sales Director and Client Services Director.
Natasha was appointed as a board member and trustee in 2021 for Trust Leeds, she has been on LEP investment steering groups, she has recently been appointed as an independent panel member at AFC(H) and is completing a NED insights programme shadowing NHS boards.
I love grass roots football! I play for Leeds City Lasses and help coach under 8 and 9 girls football. (I love playing sports…I might be just a little bit competitive!)
Outside of your comfort zone is where the magic happens
I am the owner and Managing Director of Intandem Communications, an organisation which helps businesses to get the most out of their marketing and PR investment and to communicate more effectively.
I wanted to join the board of Better Connect because it is a brilliant organisation with a clear vision and great people. I hope my marketing and communications skills, and experience of working with SMEs, will help it to reach wider audiences so it can reach more people and businesses.
I am a big believer in a holistic approach and am very interested in how we develop a culture in the workplace that helps people to thrive and reach their full potential, with well-being at the core. This can only benefit employers and the wider economy.
— Mark Anthony
I founded Intandem Communications in 2002 and since then it has grown to become a strong team of marketing and PR professionals working with businesses and organisations across Yorkshire and the UK. We help them to take a strategic, holistic approach to their marketing, PR and communications and to deliver results from their investment.
I have a science background and wide-ranging career including exporting British grain, and promoting a £500 million construction company; I have helped numerous large and small businesses across Yorkshire and the UK to grow and expand. With a deep understanding of the PR and marketing world, I use my knowledge, contacts and experience to provide an effective and unique approach, helping clients transform an idea into reality.
I am also a Director of Yorkshire Mark – a provenance mark for Yorkshire food and drink producers, Vice-Chair of York Against Cancer and a former chair of York Professionals. I was awarded York Press Business Personality of the Year 2015.
Having convinced myself that I wasn’t athletic, I ran two, 50-mile marathons before the age of 18, breaking the record for the fastest time the second time I did it. As well as knowing I had stamina and endurance, it gave me self-belief that ‘anything is possible’ from a young age.
Top of the Yorkshire Wolds (on a sunny day!)
I have recently joined the Board at Better Connect and am really looking forward to working with the team to help shape the future of the organisation. Better Connect is an organisation that has really strong values, values that I can relate to, around supporting people to overcome barriers. I have worked with Better Connect since the start of the BBO project as a delivery partner and have enjoyed working with such a passionate, forward thinking team, so much so that I thought I would join them by becoming part of the Board. I personally have 20 years’ experience of working with disabled adults, focusing heavily on those with Autism Spectrum Conditions, Learning Disability and Mental Health. For the past 20 years I have worked in the charity sector where funding is tight, innovation is essential and where passion is paramount to success. I am delighted to bring my experiences and knowledge to the Board to help with the future of the organisation and to contribute towards making a difference to so many lives through partnership and innovation.
— Jackie Chan
With over 20 years experience in the charity sector, I have a passion for helping others. My specialism has always been around supporting adults with autism and learning difficulties and helping them to achieve their goals. My day job is managing the specialist employment service at Autism Plus, where I have been for 15 years now. I am also the SEN and Careers governor at a large academy secondary school, where I am incorporating my knowledge of SEN and employment services to help bridge the transition gap for those leaving education.
I have an ILM Level 5 leadership qualification and am currently working towards my Level 7 ILM award. I lead on all budgetary decisions, day to day financial decisions and management and business planning for Autism Plus Employment Service. I am also working towards a Level 6 in Information, Advice and Guidance.
My passion for improving opportunities for individuals and for bringing together organisations for collaborative work is something I feel is a true strength of mine. Innovation, collaboration, strong leadership and passion are my key strengths and with a desire to truly make a difference to individuals lives. There is no better feeling than seeing someone who was written off by the system achieving their dream goal and you knowing you had a small part in their journey.
Wales – I love the calm and quietness of Wales.
Tom joined the Board after many years of partnering with Better Connect in his role as CEO of St Nicks. He believes that Better Connect has a key role to play in facilitating and growing the social impact of the sector and was pleased to have the opportunity to contribute his skills through the Board. Tom is a creative and successful senior leader whose neurodiversity brings valuable “outside the box” thinking to the Board and he is a strong advocate of collaboration to support growth and change. He values the opportunity to shape and develop Better Connect and has also found Board membership a great learning opportunity that has inspired him try different approaches to strategy and staff engagement within his own organisation.
— RuPaul
Tom the CEO of St Nicks, York’s centre for nature and green living. He is also a member of Two Ridings Community Foundation Grants Committee and was expert member of their Betty’s Trees for Life Panel.
Tom has built his career in the voluntary sector and has worked at St Nicks for 15 years, doing a range of roles before becoming CEO in 2012. St Nicks is a charity whose vision is for York to be a city where people value wildlife, the environment and each other equally to sustain a rich and healthy life for all. Tom is motivated by the big picture of environmental and social impact, choosing to focus on the opportunities to strengthen community and create sustainable change. With the declaration of climate emergency, Tom seeks creative and collaborative ways to build sector capacity for positive and real growth and change.
Port Gaverne, Cornwall
Dare to Lead, by Brene Brown
We are proud to be a values-based organisation. Our values were developed by our staff team and they inform what we do, the way we communicate and what it’s like to work with us. They are:
Everything we do is based on partnerships. We are committed to demonstrating generous leadership and ensuring that everyone who is affected by our work, is involved in shaping it
We believe in the potential of our partners and participants to thrive. We are committed to recognising and building on strengths and we aim to unlock the potential of everyone we work with
We champion diversity and treat everyone fairly and with respect. Fairness and transparency are embedded within the culture, processes and procedures of the organisation at all levels
We take the time to get to know what’s important for people we work with and to understand how we can best support them. We build relationships on a foundation of mutual trust and respect
We have an ambitious vision and we know that achieving it will involve doing things differently and leaving well-worn paths. We are excited by this opportunity to take new and innovative approaches
We recognise the huge challenges facing society. Yet we remain hopeful that a better society can be created and that our programmes and our strategic influencing can contribute positively to that change