About NAVCA

Sharon Clancy

Sharon was CEO at Mansfield CVS from September 2000 to September 2007. She is now the new Head of Active Communities at the University of Nottingham, an initiative dedicated to developing links between the University and the wider community and to bringing the concept of community and voluntary sector expertise and action to bear on the curriculaum and to other internal and external systems of the University.

Sharon has also held a number of positions within the national voluntary sector, including the National Autistic Society, working at a regional level and with a research/information focus. She also acted as Senior Lecturer and Education Advisor in disability issues from 1993-96 at Sheffield Hallam University, part of a team which liaised closely with Skill (the National Bureau for Students with Disabilities) and played a key role in promoting awareness of the needs of disabled students in the higher education environment, nationally and internationally. Sharon has recently resumed a relationship with higher education through a secondment with Derby University, teaching management and social policy issues.

Whilst at CVS, Sharon wasactive within Mansfield and Nottinghamshire, leading for two years as the voluntary sector representative on the Sub Regional Strategic Partnership for North East Derbyshire and North Notts, and working to promote a greater understanding of the vital inter-relationship between social and economic regeneration.

Sharon has presented at NAVCA and NCVO conferences, on community cohesion and relationships with local authorities, and she is a member of NCVO's on-line research forum.

Ray Collett MBE

Having served as a trustee of NAVCA for the past two years, Ray now feels in a position to accept the challenge of serving as Vice Chair.

Ray has extensive knowledge and experience of voluntary and community sector (VCS) governance, having six years experience as chair of a successful CVS in Bolton. Experience has shown him that every local infrastructure organisation (LIO) needs a combination of good management and good governance in order to be effective. Ray feels that governance is a vital, yet sometimes forgotten, essential part of the jigsaw that makes good LIOs even better.

He has closely followed the work of the Governance Hub, and has contributed comments regarding their various codes on good governance. Ray is passionate about issues around sustainable funding and partnership working, and believes that NAVCA does, and will continue to, make a significant contribution nationally and regionally to ensure that the voice of members is heard. He feels that he has a contribution to make in this area.

Ray believes that chairs and trustees of LIOs are under-represented at NAVCA, both on the board, and among the honorary officers. He is anxious that a good balance between management and governance experience is maintained.

Bernard Collier

An enthusiastic leader, Bernard has experience of developing, refocusing and managing organisations to excel, having a passion to challenge and improve delivery of voluntary and community organisations. A great supporter of voluntary and community action because of its uniquely humanising perspective.

Previously he worked for the Paddington Integration Project, (a small charity teaching independent living skills to adults who have learning difficulties), in a variety of roles but principally as the Director.

Bernard brings a strategic voluntary sector view to the Westminster City Partnership and the Westminster Children and Young People's Strategic Partnership, as well as being the Older People's Champion on the former.

Having served on the Board of London VSC for three years, he is now involved in steering the development of Sub-Regional and Regional structures to support CVS in London.

Bernard currently represents NAVCA on the Unity Trust Bank's 3rd Sector Advisory Group and the National Compact's Community Groups Sub Group. Presently he is researching Capital Asset Transfer for NAVCA

As a Trustee of NAVCA Bernard will use his geographical location as an opportunity to continue to act as a strong advocate for CVS and supporter of local voluntary and community action.

Sajid Hashmi

Sajid, who is already a member of the Trustee Board, was invited by the board to fill the casual vacancy of Honorary Treasurer for one year.

Sajid has been a member of the NAVCA board for the past four years and feels he has made an invaluable contribution to the organisation. He started life in the private sector as a finance manager and, on being made redundant in 1993, he volunteered to be a driver in an aid convoy to Bosnia. The two trips became a six-month stint and he has been hooked on the VCS ever since.

Upon his return he qualified as a youth worker and left the private sector in 1997. He worked as a field operations manager for Bosnia Aid Committee, Chief Executive of KYP Rochdale for five years, Chief Officer of Voluntary Action Calderdale and is now Chief Officer at Voluntary Action Stoke-on-Trent.

Sajid feels he has a lot to offer, not just to NAVCA but to the wider sector that he is so passionate about. He will build on his work over the past years and work with other directors in the challenging times ahead.

Mike Martin

Mike has 23 years experience working for CVS, five of them in a London Borough and 18 in his current post as Director of Reading Voluntary Action. He served as a trustee of the Community Council for Berkshire for eight years. He was a founding trustee of RAISE, the regional infrastructure organisation for the South East and served as its Chair in the period prior to the engagement of the first staff. He has been a trustee of NAVCA for four years and has taken a lead in the development of the strategic role of the Board. Mike is now in his second year as chair.

Mike believes that NAVCA is much stronger than it was five years ago. Its strength lies in listening well to members and partners whilst striving for the highest quality services in support of the sector. As Chair he aims to build on this. His other priorities for the future are a clear and robust stand on the independence of the sector, demonstration beyond doubt of the value of our work and supporting the local sector to become more effective in tackling inequality and discrimination. He aims to use his thorough understanding of our network to lead a strong and above all strategic board of trustees.

Steve Phaure

Steve Phaure has been Chief Executive of CVA since 1997, having worked previously at LVSC and Merton Race Equality Council. He is a former Chair of the South London CVS Partnership and of the Wandsworth Association of Voluntary and Community Organisations.

Steve has presided over CVA becoming one of the larger London CVS, with over 40 staff and £2million turnover (CVA also distributes over £1.5million in grants each year). Steve is now planning CVA's centenary year programme, to include the opening of a flagship resource centre, a borough-wide charity fair and the launching of a new CVA exhibition.

As well as celebrating CVA's history, Steve is planning for the future, having started a service-development review that will culminate in the presentation of CVA's 2007-12 Strategic Plan, setting out the organisation's vision of how it can remain fit for purpose over the next crucial phase of voluntary action. Steve is keen to share his views and experiences with colleagues nationally through membership of the NAVCA Board.

Caroline Schwaller

Caroline has been a Trustee for the past three years and involved through membership for many more, which gives her a good understanding of NAVCA's organisational and national functions. She brings valuable strategic experience and practical understanding from working in the voluntary and community sector for 20 years as CVS Chief Officer in contrasting environments; grant maker; and trustee of several organisations in a voluntary capacity.

She plays a major role in the LAA, LSP and key networks in Bradford District and is also proactive at sub-regional/regional level. and is keen to build the links between NAVCA and the regional forums. This would not be possible or justifiable without her equal commitment to Keighley Voluntary Services - based in a locality that encompasses rural and urban needs and a rich mix of communities.

Caroline is delighted to hold the position of Vice Chair and further demonstrate her commitment to being part of NAVCA's progression into a high profile and assertive organisation which balances supporting local infrastructure whilst ensuring NAVCA remains a leader at national level.

Caroline Shaw

Caroline is Chief Executive of Voluntary Action West Kent and has been a trustee of NAVCA for the past three years.

She began her career in HR in Canada with the Hudson Bay Trading Company, having studied for a postgraduate diploma at the University of Calgary. After a brief spell in California, she returned to England and worked for a major property and financial services company, and subsequently for a leading firm of city lawyers as Director of Human Resources.

In 1997 she was awarded a master's degree in training and development from the Centre for Labour Market Studies, University of Leicester, where her research considered the impact of private sector management practices on voluntary sector organisations. She is currently a Governor of West Kent College.

Before joining VAWK, she spent 12 years undertaking freelance management consultancy assignments in the voluntary sector for a variety of clients, including several LIOs. Her expertise centres on leadership, management of change and organisational development.

She is passionate about the voluntary sector and believes she can continue to offer the NAVCA trustee board a wealth of strategic and operational experience to help shape both the current and future policy debate.

Catherine Surtees

Catherine joined the CVS movement in 1994 at Reading Voluntary Action (RVA). During those 10 years, she worked to develop an organisation for refugees and asylum seekers, a mental health support centre, a multicultural women's learning centre, a 'mother tongue' counselling service and a volunteer centre.

When she became Deputy Manager at RVA, she managed the Community Groups project, working in wards within the top 20% of the index of deprivation to help groups turning over less than £25,000.

In 2005 she moved to Voluntary Action Wakefield District (VAWD) as Chief Executive, where she stayed for two years. Most notably she co-operated closely with the council's Corporate Procurement Unit and Social Services, to successfully develop the scope of commissioning with the VCS, and to secure funds for VAWD via the local area agreement.

Now based at Voluntary Action Kirklees, where she arrived in December 2006, she's still finding her feet. She is currently working on an Invest to Save project, encouraging a community development approach to achieve local area agreement targets and finding her way around the local VCS.

Catherine said that NAVCA had been a great support to her during those roles and, if elected, she would love to give something back via trusteeship.

Nero Ughwujabo

Nero is the Director of Croydon BME Forum, the umbrella organisation for Croydon's black and minority ethnic voluntary and community sector organisations, which plays a co-ordinating role in the involvement of BME communities in decision-making and working for the long-term sustainability of member organisations. Nero has completed his MBA in recent years.

Nero works within the social policy arena, developing and implementing policies at local and national levels. His work centres on enabling organisations and communities to engage more meaningfully in the wider policy and political arena, with particular reference to regeneration, neighbourhood renewal, and local strategic partnerships.

Nero is an advocate of positive engagement and enabling change through participation. He is a board member at Thames Housing Association, a board member of Croydon Business Venture, a member of the Windsor Leadership Trust and fellow of the Millennium Commission. Nero is currently Chair of the Croydon Strategic Partnership's Chief Executives Group and a member of the Stronger Communities Partnership in Croydon. He was recently appointed as a non-executive director at Mayday NHS Trust.

Nick Warren

Nick has been Chief Executive of Voluntary Action Sheffield for 13 years. His working experience in the voluntary sector goes back more than 30 years, and includes nine years with an international NGO (Service Civil International) and four with Friends of the Earth. He came to Sheffield in the late 1980s to take up a post of Assistant Director of the then Council for Voluntary Service. In the intervening years, the organisation has grown from six to over 65 staff.

Nick has had to learn to adapt to the changing needs of the organisation in terms of the strategic management role, and the need to forge working relationships with a wide range of partners - public and voluntary and community sector - using mechanisms such as the local strategic partnership and compact, in order to deliver more and better services for their users.

Nick believes that the local voluntary and community sector has a hugely important role to play in regenerating our communities and he is determined to ensure that CVS are at the heart of the agenda. As a member of the NAVCA Trustee Board, he hopes to bring positive insights and vision to the work of NAVCA, founded upon local experience.

Duncan Wood

Duncan has worked for Involve ­- Voluntary Action in Mid Devon, since 2001, as the organisation was expanding into a comprehensive local infrastructure organisation (LIO), with the development of CVS functions. Since January 2004 he has taken on the role of Chief Officer.

Duncan plays an active role in the County Consortium and the Devon Association of CVS. He is a board member of the South West Foundation, a director of a local MCTi implementation body and chair of the local LSP.

Duncan began his career within the Civil Service working within a number of local and regional departments gaining a good understanding of the benefits and pitfalls of organisational structures, policies, procedures and protocols.

He has worked within the voluntary sector since 1990. Before Involve he worked in health; information; youth and education based charities. He worked with a wide variety of third sector organisations in an advisory and supportive capacity as a Rural Development Commission grants assessor.

Duncan believes stongly in the value and independence of the voluntary sector and the value comprehensive infrastructure support plays within it. He welcomes the opportunity to use both his strategic and LIO operational experience to the NAVCA board.

Sarah Wood OBE

Throughout her adult life Sarah has maintained an involvement in the voluntary sector. That interest has ranged from being a volunteer member of the Children's Justice System in Scotland, a trustee of Turning Point, to a director of Social Care Education Trust. The experience she gained has influenced her in her work and life.

Sarah worked for ten years in social care moving on to become Deputy Chief Executive of Glasgow City Council. She then worked for Birmingham City Council as Director of Finance/Deputy Chief Executive for seven years. For the last two and half years she has been Director of Policy for the Local Government Association. Working with ministers and senior civil servants has given her an invaluable insight into the workings of Whitehall.

She welcomes the opportunity to use her experience, skills and knowledge to promote NAVCA. This is an exciting time for the third sector and NAVCA has an opportunity to lead the debate for the benefit of its members and the communities they serve.