Our People
Who we are
Do-Well brings a wonderful band of people together with a wide range of leadership and management expertise and experience across many different sectors and specialisms.
Launched in 2014 by founder Ken Perry, our passion is for helping people, places and organisations to find their purpose, do well and succeed.
Our approach to our work is unique. Our aim is always to work with you to understand your challenge and to use this understanding to create a programme of work that is tailored to the needs of you, your organisation or your place. Nothing that we do is ‘off the shelve’.
We work across the UK with much of our work currently focused in the North West of England and North Wales. We’re also proud to be able to deliver programmes in Welsh.
The Do-Well Team
Ken Perry, Director, Do-Well
What do you know
I have almost 40 years’ experience working across the public, private and third sectors from the most junior level to holding a Chief Executive position of a high growth, values led organisation for 14 years. I am also a current and very experienced Non-Executive Director, Chair and Vice Chair. I have a MBA from the Open University Business School, am a Fellow of the RSA and the Institute of Directors, a Visiting Industrial Fellow at Wrexham Glyndwr University, an enabler with the Leadership Centre and a member of the Chartered Institute of Housing by examination.
I know what it feels like to practice leadership at the highest level and it is this lived experience, good and bad, that I add to my ongoing learning to help others succeed in a very practical way.
Why do you do what you do?
All of my life I have taken great joy from seeing others succeed. I am now in a fortunate position where I work every day alongside good people who are striving to do great things. If, by having some contact with me it helps them do well, then I am living a useful life and that means everything to me.
I am the Founder of Do-Well but I am not alone. I am surrounded by a wonderful band of people who all share my passion for enabling others to succeed. I help them with their work by co-ordinating and developing the business. My job is to stay connected to everyone we serve, ensure that what we do is the very best it can be, look to the future, ensure we are contemporary in our thinking, connect people and make sure that Do-Well always stays useful.
How can you be useful?
I have found that I am useful in helping people, organisations and places craft and then achieve their purpose and goals. My track record of their successes is strong and grows every day. Working on a one to one basis or working with executive teams, Boards, social movements and communities of interest and/or place, I help others make sense of this ever-changing world, to think deeply and clearly before working with them to act and crucially in many cases, staying with them through the ups and downs of their leadership life.
I am active providing one to one support to leaders and aspiring leading through my unique Consiglieri service. I also help build and maintain social movements for change, connecting people, building personal, community and organisational resilience. I teach people the art of public narrative, I help build and maintain leadership capacity and competence.
What album has most inspired you?
Music is a key part of my life. I do not have a single album that inspires me; as with all of my life I love diversity and have an eclectic taste so when it comes to music I love moving through classical pieces, opera, jazz, folk and rock music as my mood takes me. The first album I remember saving up to buy was ‘The Kids are Alright’ by The Who, so that has a special place in my collection.
Rodger Cairns, Practice Manager
What do you know
I have worked for 35 years across the social housing sector at the interface between housing health and social care. My work has ranged from being a residential social worker working with children in care to the Managing Director of TrustCare, Trafford Housing Trust’s Independent Living service for older and vulnerable people which involved establishing a registered domiciliary care business with an annual turnover of £2m. I am good at developing stakeholder relationships to support business growth and have used my experience to support other organisations with their business development and strategic growth plans. As a trained coach I enjoy supporting teams and individuals to assess and resolve the challenges they are facing.
I am the Chair of MACC – Manchester’s Voluntary sector infrastructure body – because I believe the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector plays a vital part in creating a kinder and more inclusive society. Plus, I’ve benefited personally from the experience of being a volunteer.
Why do you do what you do?
“We teach best what we need to learn,” said someone much wiser than me. I get real satisfaction from work that has a real impact on people and places, improving life chances and choices for the people who live there. At the heart of this work is a desire for people to be healthy (physically and mentally), happy and at peace. This is what I want for myself and my family and it’s what I want for others too.
How can you be useful?
People say they find me easy to talk to and I build rapport quickly with individuals and help me facilitate groups. I am naturally reflective, curious and analytical which means I will ask questions and encourage you to do the same. Clients have found my specialist knowledge and experience useful to help them review their services and approaches and to identify what approach will suit them best. I like to build on what’s already working because I’ve found people respond more positively when they can build on their existing successes.
Maybe it’s being left-handed but I do tend to see things from a different perspective and people find my insights and observations helps their own thinking and I enjoy collaborating with others to create solutions to the issues they are facing. This lead to Do-Well’s Eat Well to Do-Well Offer.
My interest in wellbeing means I am naturally supportive and encouraging which helps people explore new ideas and practices as they develop.
What album has most inspired you?
I love music – Spotify playlists and BBC6 Music are pretty much constant companions for me. Picking one album feels like a pretty impossible ask. Firstly there’s a lot of great music and secondly because so much depends on my mood. But if I want to be happy and feel alive the Jackie Wilson ‘Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher’ takes some beating but for straight out inspiration I think Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’ nails it.
Lisa Scully
What do you know?
In 1995 I secured a role as trainee housing officer in a local housing association. It was in this role that I realised that I was able to combine my passion for social change with my day-to-day work.
After 4 years in frontline services, I moved into a continuous improvement role which gave me the opportunity to work with directors in identifying an implementing their Best Value plans. I loved it, and there began my realisation that creative facilitation, coaching and project management can enable meaningful change.
Following on from this I was successful in delivering a range of service improvement and change management roles both on an employed and self-employed basis across not for profit, public and private sectors. This is where I developed my real-world approach to designing and delivering tailored made programmes of change, through structured planning and creative engagement of key stakeholders.
In 2009 I joined the senior management team at a large social housing organisation as assistant director of business assurance where I led on several corporate change projects that supported the redesign of the organisations systems and approaches following its stock transfer. In 2014, I was appointed as their director of business transformation and was the strategic lead for the design, development and successful implementation of the organisations change programme in its move to a group structure.
After taking voluntary redundancy in early 2017, my partner and I were fortunate to travel on a grown-up gap year to 13 different countries. When we returned to the UK in 2018, I started back working on freelance basis (and now with the wonderful Do-Well Band), using my highly developed organisational, planning and project management skills to successfully develop and deliver change projects to client organisations across a range of sectors. As a Licensed Menopause Champion, I specialise in the design and delivery of menopause education, coaching and supporting organisations to build menopause friendly workplaces.
Why do you do what you do?
My why is to empower and support individuals and organisations to make meaningful change.
I was brought up to believe and recognise that everyone of us has a story to tell and that there is always something we can learn from each other. We simply need to take the time to listen. This way of seeing the world has always served me well in both my personal life and career. By creating the right conditions and approaches where listening, sharing and learning can flourish, we open our minds to the art of the possible.
How can you be useful?
I would describe myself as a sensemaker, with the rare ability to understand and translate complex strategic issues and then create practical manageable solutions to resolve these. My key strengths are in programme planning and management, facilitation, training and coaching, all of which I draw upon as required, so that when you embark on your change journey, it is with full clarity and purpose.
I have a very personable and pragmatic approach and can build rapport quickly at all levels within an organisation. I am energised by collaborating and communicating with people, and have a genuine desire to understand their thoughts, ideas and perspectives, and then work together to channel these into a truly tailored approach.
What album has most inspired you?
I have a very eclectic taste in music to say the least. When I was a teenager in the 1980’s you would find me being inspired and motivated by a lot of the cheesy pop songs of that time, along with some rock music and of course the dramatic power ballads. Still love all that music now.
With my parents influences of The Beatles, Elvis, country music and musical films, I’m sure you can start imagining what my playlists look like.
My top 5 albums in terms of playtime on Spotify are: Now- That’s What I Call Country, Bat Out Of Hell, Les Miserables (Original London cast recording), Queen – Greatest Hits and Abba Gold.
Andy Zuntz
What do you know ?
I have spent most of my working life in public service eventually operating at the highest level in a metropolitan local authority in the North-West; my career includes hands-on experience in housing, community development, regeneration and economic development, policy, strategy, equalities and community cohesion. After finishing full-time work, I have taken on a range of roles: Chair, NED, consultant, advisor, helper, performer, mediator and mentor. Consequently I have committed much of my time to supporting voluntary, community, housing and cultural organisations, mostly charitable.
I recently completed a 9-year term as Group Chair of ForViva, a large Social Housing Company (with a large successful commercial arm) which “aims to create the best possible environment for people and communities to thrive and fulfil their potential.” Currently I chair our local Music Centre, I am also a Director of Glossop’s Well-being Charity, the Bureau and a trustee of Glossop Music Festival.
Why do you do what you do?
Several things drive me: a desire to be useful and helpful, an insatiable curiosity, a love of actually producing something and a passion for equality and fairness. I am a firm believer in lifelong learning for everyone. If my skills and experience can help a person or an organisation pursue just causes, then I feel happy and fulfilled. I think the current socio/political/economic/cost-of living climate is calling us all to action!
How can you be useful?
I love strategy, planning, and big picture thinking, drawing on my work and lived experience, and applying a powerful sense of curiosity. Equally I can help organise work and shape ideas: I love facilitating groups, of any size, helping them work out what is important to them and what they want to do. I enjoy detail and analysis too, and will happily explore new territory or develop my existing knowledge. I am numerate and literate, educated to degree level in mathematics and languages. I love joining things up, making links between organisations, ideas and plans.
What album has most inspired you?
A terribly hard question. I love music and it has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I listen to everything from classical to jazz, via rock, soul and blues. I play saxophone in an ensemble and love performing in small venues. So choosing one album is impossible for me, but as Bob Dylan’s music has been with me since my early teens, the track I will go for is “Desolation Row’ from the 1965 album “Highway 61 revisited”. For me it is an amazing piece, blending fabulous poetry with great music.
Gwenno Eleri Jones
What do you know?
I have over twenty years’ experience working in culture and heritage specialising mainly within arts engagement. I am a Fine Art graduate and trained to become a secondary school art and design teacher before changing paths to work within the cultural sector. Over the years I have worked for various arts organisations as a member of their education and engagement departments which led me to become a Local Government cultural leader, which is where my passion for using creativity for social benefit evolved. Within my public service role I had the opportunity to work with colleagues across Wales to develop large scale arts and education projects that had real impact on those who took part.
I am a fluent first language Welsh speaker, I didn’t learn English until I started school. The culture of Wales is a huge part of who I am and informs a large part of my work.
I have over twenty years’ experience working in culture and heritage specialising mainly within arts engagement. I am a Fine Art graduate and trained to become a secondary school art and design teacher before changing paths to work within the cultural sector. Over the years I have worked for various arts organisations as a member of their education and engagement departments which led me to become a Local Government cultural leader, which is where my passion for using creativity for social benefit evolved. Within my public service role I had the opportunity to work with colleagues across Wales to develop large scale arts and education projects that had real impact on those who took part.
I am a fluent first language Welsh speaker, I didn’t learn English until I started school. The culture of Wales is a huge part of who I am and informs a large part of my work.
Why do you do what you do?
Being invited to join the Do-Well band was an absolute honour, the ethos of the band resonates so well with how I work and what I believe. The biggest joy, throughout my career, has been seeing the success of others and having a small part to play in helping people find the very best in themselves, whether that be teachers discovering a passion for the expressive arts, or a vulnerable young person able to express themselves through creative writing or painting.
Creativity and expression are as vital to humanity as kindness, air and water, and nothing brings me more pleasure than sharing my approach with others, and learning from the combined wealth of experience and knowledge that all members of the Do-Well band bring.
How can you be useful?
Having led on various and complex projects, including the creation of networks, community engagement and the delivery of capital initiatives, I am able to bring people together, from diverse fields and backgrounds, and help them find common ground to achieve a united goal.
I am creative to my core, and aim to help people find innovative and practical solutions to most challenges they face. I don’t claim to hold all the answers, I may not have experience within the field of the people I’m working with, but I am able to help organisations and individuals identify the issue they face and to help them explore what they may need to do to help solve it, if it needs solving.
I have been an active member of several boards, from local organisations and community festivals, to large UK wide membership led arts organisations. This has given me the opportunity to work with people at all levels. In my experience the most successful boards are those that are led by people which are able to identify and utilise the interests, expertise and passions of all those around the table, and able to make everyone feel useful, needed, equal and involved within the governance process. I am able to support boards and leaders to work towards achieving the trust and confidence of those they work with.
What album has most inspired you?
Since childhood I have held an obsessive passion for music, having learnt the piano and the harp as a young child, although sadly both skills have lapsed. My taste is diverse, from 1950’s American Blues to Electro House Music and most things in between. It has been so difficult to choose one album, especially as my husband and I are avid vinyl collectors and have thousands to choose from, but I’ve plumped for ‘Screamadelica’ by Primal Scream. The album was released when I was still at school and it was my first taste, as an indie kid through and through, of what dance music could be. It was the soundtrack to my most formative years and I still listen to it regularly whilst bouncing around the kitchen.
Karen Armstrong
What do you know?
I’ve worked in local government for many years; with formative years in countryside management (both strategic and operational), which then led to area recreational management (both indoor and outdoor) and then the world of contract management through Compulsory Competitive Tendering (CCT for those of you that can remember those bureaucratic times!)
This experience enabled my move from the North West of England into Flintshire where I was the client manager for the Council’s leisure facilities – taking the Council successfully through a challenged CCT competitive process and then into a corporate role leading the ‘Best Value’ programme.
Subsequent career positions have included strategic business planning, performance and improvement, governance and policy development. More recently, partnership working across the public and third sector has invigorated me; realising how much is possible through successful partnership and networking. I’ve also worked at national, regional and sub regional levels, representing Wales at the Association of Public Service Excellence (APSE), plus working with the Welsh Local Government Association influencing policy development and improvement practices in local government.
Why do you do what you do?
I am both inspired and excited by having the opportunity to influence policy and ambition for the better, so that the impact on individuals and communities is positive and long lasting. My experience, both in the paid work place, as a volunteer with the third sector and also in my own life provokes a desire to understand others and their intentions and provide a different perspective promoting a better outcome.
How can you be useful?
I am naturally curious of both places and people. This promotes my desire to be interested in what is happening to individuals and communities and what might be causing negative events and experiences. My policy and governance background provides me with a wide range of skills to draw upon to inspire, challenge, support and advise. My different experiences of leadership practices both within and across organisations have provided me with a deeper understanding of taking strategic and operational objectives into delivery.
What album has most inspired you?
Music has always been a constant in my life; from singing and dancing as a toddler around the kitchen with my Mum, to jumping and wiggling at discos, concerts and festivals. I wouldn’t be able to select one specific album, as my tastes and choice varies so much depending upon mood and circumstance. However, the first single I bought was Leader of the Pack by the Shangri-Las; the roaring sound of the motor bike and story of love and loss really resonated with me.
Stuart Irons
What do you know?
I am a qualified Solicitor and have a law degree. I have been practising law for over 30 years in private practice advising a variety of clients including public bodies, local authorities, insurance companies, charities and faith-based organisations, housing associations as well as private and public companies and individuals. I am well versed in commercial and corporate matters and property related issues.I have a wealth of experience in helping people make decisions, by analysing the facts of the situation and looking at the consequences of each potential action.
I am also a long-standing Trustee of Woodlands Animal Sanctuary.
Why do you do what you do?
I have always been passionate about fighting for what is right and fair. If this can be achieved by negotiating a settlement rather than commencing proceedings, then all the better. Saving management time and reducing the spend on legal fees is invariably a better option, thereby allowing the party’s resources to be deployed better in pursuing its primary mission.
How can you be useful?
I fulfil the role of trusted adviser to organisations large and small and individuals to guide them when problems occur and formulate or negotiate solutions. I’m prepared to take roles on a consultancy basis to help organisations deal with particular issues or projects. I can identify risk, assist in drafting policies and protocols to reduce it and in some cases have achieved reductions in a client’s insurance premiums.
Being the leader of an organisation can be tough and lonely place when difficult decisions have to be made. I can help in that situation as a trusted friend who you can discuss any issue with in confidence and who will advise you what the consequences of the proposed actions might be and if there might be other solutions to achieve the same aim, with less adverse consequences.
What album has most inspired you?
The album that I was first inspired by was David Bowie’s “Man of Words/Man of Music” released in 1971. It only came to my attention in the mid 1980s. In particular, the track “Changes” which was the first piece of music that spoke to my heart more than my head. I have loved Bowie’s music ever since as he was so inventive and fearless in embracing change.
Margaret Hanson
What do you know
I have worked for over 40 years in the public, private and third sectors. After university, I started my working life as an audit junior with a large firm of accountants. Within two years I had realised that my passion lay elsewhere-working with and for people. That focus on people has stayed with me. Whatever role I have held, from a front-line social work assistant at Cheshire County Council to the chief executive of a mental health charity, work has always been about people for me. I have also held non-executive roles in a range of organisations, including the NHS, been elected as a district and county councillor, and chaired the Board of Theatr Clwyd. I returned to formal education (part-time), whilst the CEO of Age Concern North East Wales and undertook a master’s degree in public health. As a mature student, this was a daunting experience initially, but I grew in confidence and knowledge as the years passed. By undertaking both the taught element of the course and my own independent research, I became passionate about addressing the avoidable health inequalities that were growing in so many of the communities in which I either lived or worked. With like minded colleagues, who are now firm friends, I helped set up the social movement 2025, which brings people together to work to reduce health inequalities. I have also maintained my research interest in mental well-being and ageing and am proud to be a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Public Health. I believe that research has to reflect the real world in which people live and have a number of specialisms to offer, including how to use autonomy to develop assets for health and wellbeing, and the evaluation of non-clinical interventions in public health settings.
Why do you do what you do?
As someone born into a less advantaged community in Liverpool, I witnessed at first hand the impacts that exclusion and prejudice can have. Growing up, initially in a slum, and then in a sub-standard council house has stayed with me. I was lucky enough to get a good education and had many more life chances than most of those people I grew up with as a result. I have always been grateful for these opportunities and have tried to use the knowledge, skills, and confidence they gave me to benefit others. If I can encourage other people to realise that they have talent and potential, and connect them with others in the same situation, then that is a job well done for me. If I can help them grow in confidence until they are able to advocate for themselves, or if I can share my knowledge so that they can understand how to develop their own health and wellbeing, then I am happy. I try to help people see problems as challenges, which they can overcome and turn into a strength, whether that is in their work or personal life.
How can you be useful?
I am useful in helping to turn failing organisations into successful ones, across all sectors. My track record is strong particularly in the third sector, where I have been able to bring my ability to think strategically and plan accordingly to benefit both small and large organisations. I am very conversant in charity law and governance, with the ability to use this knowledge to ensure that organisations can thrive despite the way in which the law and good governance is sometimes perceived. I can help organisations ensure that their workplace is one which promotes health and wellbeing for all their employees, and that the leadership within the organisation is such that everyone is able to achieve work-life balance and thrive accordingly. I am keen to see how the retention of older workers can be facilitated within organisations as we are all facing working for many more years. In particular, I am interested in how the application of technology can benefit older adults both in the workplace and beyond.
What album has most inspired you?
I love music, although sadly cannot play any instruments. My eldest cousin introduced me to Tamla Motown and soul music in the late 1960s-something that has stayed with me to this day. As I explored out from those more ‘pop’ type genres, I naturally came across Stevie Wonder in his pomp in the early to mid-seventies. I was tempted to name one of his albums from that period but couldn’t decide which. So, I have gone for another artist who was just as influential on my view of the world, Bob Marley. I fell in love with his music when No Woman No Cry was released in 1974. My album choice, however, is the amazing Exodus. Buying an LP then was a major investment, but it was, and is, worth every penny.
Sue Powell
What do you know?
Having worked in housing for over 35 years I think I have learnt a bit about housing across all sectors and a lot about people. My experience started as a front line Repairs Clerk and I will never forget my experiences as a Housing Officer out on the patch collecting rents, allocating properties, dealing with neighbour disputes or whatever the varied days would bring. I moved into performance improvement and then policy and strategy and completed my BA in housing studies five weeks before my son was born.
I have worked across regions, facilitated joint working, and worked closely with Local Elected Members. Six years ago I made the decision to set up my own company and I have continued to develop my knowledge over this time, primarily with Registered Providers and local authorities. I am an experienced Non Executive Director which has led me to develop different skills around Governance and enabled me to look at organisations from a different perspective.
Why do you do what you do?
I do it because I want to make a difference. When working for and with organisations I wanted to have a direct impact on the lives of residents, helping them to break down the barriers and creating opportunities. I now use those skills to support and help others to make that difference.
I joined the Do-Well band knowing that I was joining like minded people who care about others and want their work to impact on people and communities.
How can you be useful?
I can be useful at a number of different levels. I am an experienced Interim Manager who can come into an organisation at pace and make a difference. I am a buddy and mentor, a role that I love, and I can engage and connect people across a range of organisations. I also have what I am told is a unique skill for working effectively with local elected members.
What album has most inspired you?
Music has always been a part of my life right from childhood and some would say my tastes have never grown up. I don’t have one album that I would say has inspired me. Music reflects our moods and I enjoy happy music, anything you can dance around the living room to or sing into a hairbrush. Music also brings with it memories and helps us to relax and reflect.
Sheena McDonnell
What do you know?
I am a people professional having gained my HR qualification over 25 years ago. I am a Fellow of the CIPD and have worked in the public and not for profit sectors for most of my working life. I have lots of experience as a senior leader having been a CEO of a third sector organisation and Executive Director of a Housing Association. I am an experienced at Board level both in terms of being a Board member myself and also in supporting effective Governance through the work that I do. I am currently a Non-Executive of a healthcare foundation trust and a community leisure service.
Why do you do what you do?
In choosing this work I want to be able to make a difference, to support individuals and organisations to be the very best they can be and that often starts with leadership. I have experienced and witnessed the good and not so good in leadership terms and understand through my own lived experience how impactful that can be both positively and negatively.
How can you be useful?
I enjoy being part of Do-Well where I can contribute my people focused skill set into the diversity of skills, we as a collective offer. I work across sectors with individuals, organisations and communities on their approach to leadership development and systems leadership. Clarity of purpose is key and through facilitation, individual coaching, strategic and organisational development reviews and supporting organisations going through change we can help organisations hold true to that purpose.
What album has most inspired you?
My music taste is very eclectic – as a teenager my music ranged from the Sex Pistols and the Buzzcocks to Whitesnake and Deep Purple, and now I tend to listen to music depending on the activity I am doing or the mood I am in. One of my claims to fame is that while at Uni I saw the then Housemartins at a ‘free ents’ night and still today I am a fan of Paul Heaton so I will go with this.
Kieran Timmins
What do you know?
I’m an experienced executive leader who has been lucky enough to have all sorts of unusual experiences in a career that has covered wide range of sectors and roles. I’m an accountant – but don’t judge me! – who has had led ranging service portfolios in executive roles local government, housing and the charity sector. I’ve been a housing association board member for 25 years and chair Cobalt in North Liverpool and have board level experience with a range of organisations.
Why do you do what you do?
I pride myself on seeing the strategic and finding clever solutions to make the world a little better .
How can you be useful?
I’ve been really lucky to have a huge range of experiences from major NW PFI programmes to managing small groups of board members through conflict and challenging times, from running large scale international sporting events (the World Firefighter games) to helping a small charity set its first budgets and strategic plans. I’ve seen all sorts of issues and solutions and I’ve learnt a great deal from what’s worked (and more importantly what hasn’t) along the way .
My real strengths lie in seeing to the heart of complex problems and pulling people together to find shared solutions
What album has most inspired you?
I love live music and play the piano in equal measure of badly and enthusiastically. I try and have fun in whatever I’m working on so I’ll pick Professor Longhair’s, Crayfish Fiesta …….. the piano sound of new orleans shows what fabulous stuff comes from fusing ideas and skills from different backgrounds and the ongoing lineage of musical geniuses from there shows what can happen when experts share freely of their experience and enthusiasm . I dare you not to dance listening to this Professor Longhair – Big Chief
Glynne Roberts
What do you know?
I have over 35 years’ experience of working in the NHS in North Wales, starting out in public health, moving on to leadership roles across a range of clinical services, before moving back into public health to lead on the health inequalities agenda. During this time, I gained an interest in working with individuals and communities, and in bringing people together to create meaningful partnerships. This included supporting the 2025 movement, as well as leading change across a range of topic areas including social prescribing, food poverty, and inter-agency policy work to address inequalities. For the last two years of my NHS employment, I became Director for Test, Trace, Protect in North Wales, leading the regional response to Covid.
In addition to local roles, I also represented the region on a number of national and ministerial groups, forging national policy and building on the work in North Wales to influence the national agenda.
Why do you do what you do?
I have always had a passion for partnership working, and delivering change at a community level. Addressing inequality has always been a passion, and developing the potential of local groups, encouraging them to flourish, and seeing them deliver real and meaningful change has always been my motivation. Working with the Do-Well team has added a new dimension to my knowledge, determination and desire to continue to develop partnerships for change.
How can you be useful?With an in-depth knowledge of the public sector, as well as voluntary and community sectors, I have a track record in creating multi-disciplinary partnerships, developing innovative approaches to complex issues.
To underpin this agenda, I have a strong background in strategy, policy development, engagement and co-production, particularly around the broader public health agenda. In previous roles, I worked with senior clinicians to lead, review and develop high quality NHS services.
Having an ability to work equally effectively in Welsh and English, I can deliver programmes in either (or both) languages, creating sustainable solutions in complex environments.
What album has most inspred you?
My musical tastes are firmly embedded in the 1978-1982 period! There a re a number of albums from this era which remain particular favourites, such as Fflamau’r Ddraig by Geraint Jarman, bringing a political dimension to mainstream Welsh music. Bands such as the Clash provided a similar perspective in English, but my all time favourites were the Undertones – showing how a group of young men, living in extremely difficult times through the Troubles in Derry, created music that was relevant to their generation, and transcended local difficulties to reach a much wider audience.
Sonia Bassey
Sonia, until recently was the Director of Public Sector Transformation at Cheshire East Council with lead responsibility for delivering transformation change, having left in July 2022 to pursue a fully funded PhD with Open University.
Sonia joined Do-Well as a consultant in 2022 to give her the opportunity to share her drive and experience with a wider range of organisations and individuals.
In a voluntary capacity Sonia is also the Chair of Africa Oyé and a founding member and Chair of Mandela8. Both are Black led charitable organisations. Having over 30 years experience of supporting charities either at Board level or operationally and working in diverse communities, Sonia brings a wealth of experience of leadership and community engagement expertise,
Sonia was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Years Honours 2017 for her work in communities across Liverpool, in particular her work in diverse communities, and her work promoting social justice and equality.
In 2021 Sonia was appointed as the first Black Chair of Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Services and set up the first Black led community land trust in Liverpool, L8 Matters CLT.
Sonia also became Co-Chair of the National Museums RESPECT Group that leads Slavery Remembrance Day in Liverpool in 2020.