Meet the Team

Rachel Hinde currently works for NHSEI leading an improvement programme focussed on primary care, improving the resilience and efficiency of general practice. She has previously worked in local government in the Midlands and in London and for other statutory bodies. She has expertise in change management, quality improvement and a range of leadership and management skills. She has been committed to CRASAC as a trustee for many years, supporting the organisation through changes.

Alison Drury has had a long career in brand marketing, strategic planning and market research specialising in recent years in research with a social purpose and research amongst stakeholders in education, health and the third sector. She is also a qualified psychotherapist and counsellor working with women affected by the trauma of sexual violence and domestic violence. She has been a longstanding trustee at CRASAC and is a former vice chair of governors for a large successful Further Education College in the Midlands.

Mary-Ann Stephenson is Director of the Women’s Budget Group. She has worked in women’s equality and human rights for over twenty five years and has been the Director of the Fawcett Society and Commissioner on the Women’s National Commission. She is also a board member at the social and economic rights organisation, Just Fair. She has a PhD in law from the University of Warwick

Julie was a local government Community Safety Manager specialising in domestic abuse and sexual assualt and rape issues. On retirement she joined the board of CRASAC.

She also chairs the board of a Multi-Academy Trust of five schools locally (three of whom are outstanding) and is vice chair of a successful local charity who oversees the assessment of vulnerable families from all over the country.

Mary had a long career in Local Government, finishing as a Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer, during which time the Council she worked for, achieved an ‘Excellence’ rating. After this she was the Head of Operations for ENTRUST regulating the Landfill Communities Fund. Mary has a keen interest in Finance, Corporate Governance and Risk Management.

Mary has been retired a few years, she is a keen golfer and is on the Committee of her Ladies Section, and has been instrumental in achieving the ‘Women in Golf’ status. Her other hobbies are her allotment, and travelling.

Elaine Russell is a Methodist minister who has worked in the NHS since 2008, predominantly within Public Health. Previously the PH commissioner for Coventry, she became a trustee at CRASAC after she moved roles, returning to her native Birmingham but retaining her interest in CRASAC’s inspired work. Currently working for NHSEI where she joined to support the Sexual Abuse and Assault Strategy review; she is also a Trustee for a nursery partnership in her local area of south Birmingham.

Navjot has a wealth of experience of working in the public and voluntary sector. Having worked in local government for the last fourteen years, she has spearheaded the end-to-end management of complex projects including the programme management of £150M Capital and Revenue Programmes for Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Coventry City Council. She has utilised her programme management skills to successfully deliver a ‘payment by results’ ESF Employment programme that exceeded its targets.

As the Centre manager for a local voluntary sector, Navjot was instrumental in securing over £1m of funding to improve the lives of Black and Minority Ethnic Women in Coventry including supporting women into employment; developing learning champions and gaining matrix accreditation for the Centre. Core competencies include Programme and Project Management, community development; stakeholder engagement and performance management. Previous roles include supporting Asian women with mental health issues; commissioning services for B&ME communities and setting up an Asian women’s helpline in Birmingham.

Samantha Richardson has only very recently joined the board of CRASAC. She currently works in local government managing complex and high-risk transformation projects. Previously, she worked in housing management and as a support worker with young homeless people before developing a ‘Compulsive Hoarding Project’ which delivered OT-led services for people with hoarding disorder, alongside training and development services to the housing sector. Her key skills and experience are in project and change management, training and development. As co-chair and member of a number of LGBT+ employee networks over the years, Sam is passionate about driving forward equality, diversity and inclusion within organisations and frontline services.

Eje Esangbedo has recently joined the CRASAC board of trustees with a background in business development and fundraising. She currently works for Reall (an investor and innovator in affordable housing) as Head of Fundraising and Investor Relations. Prior to this she worked at World Vision where she led the new business unit; securing funds from FCDO (previously DFID) and the EC amongst other funders. With a range of management and leadership skills, she is also very well experienced in the field of impact investing.

Natalie.Thompson@crasac.org.uk

Jenni.Muskett@crasac.org.uk

Alev.Taylor@crasac.org.uk