Core competencies
Helen’s core competencies are:
- Facilitation and training – working with a wide range of organisations, groups and their stakeholders to reach agreed visions and sense of direction, generate energy and goodwill for collaboration, address issues and resolve conflicts; and build capacity and understanding for groups to deliver these tasks themselves: ‘Helping people think’.
- Community and stakeholder engagement strategies and delivery – enabling organisations to strengthen their proposals and demonstrate quality involvement, and help secure further funding. (e.g. Audience Development Plans).
- Programme and project delivery – acting as mentor, critical friend and adviser (Big Local), co-developing programme of conservation, restoration, community involvement, learning and training (Landscape Partnership Scheme).
Career highlights
In my role as Big Local Community Rep, I have supported resident partnerships to build confidence to lead transformational change, growing through successes, difficulties and conflicts.
Before becoming a consultant, I managed two of the most successful LEADER funding programmes in England for rural community economic development, and started and built up a housing and care organisation and a pioneering rural home care co-operative.
Other stuff
I am co-chair of an energy efficiency charity in the Marches helping households reduce energy costs and carbon footprints. I am a smallholder and horse logger, and a host for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.
