Meet The Members
Each organisation is represented by a lead member of staff. If you would like to know more or contact the organisation, use their website or email the lead member for each organisation.
CVS Cheshire East
Community & Voluntary Services (CVS) Cheshire East work to see the local voluntary sector thriving together. They help charity organisations overcome challenges, achieve goals, and access their full potential with expert infrastructure support, providing support to those starting-up and organisations long-established. Their wide range of support services includes training, direct 1 to 1 guidance, and peer-to-peer networking and cover topics like governance, fundraising, and volunteer management.
Kathryn Sullivan, Interim CEO, CVS Cheshire East - Kathryn.sullivan@cvsce.org.uk
Kathryn has worked in and for the VCSE Sector her whole career, specialising in membership charities. A governance consultant by trade, she has been a trustee for over 14 years and is passionate about the transformative nature of volunteering. Having completed an interim CEO contract at the place-based infrastructure organisation in Calderdale, where she lives, Kathryn was excited to join the team at CVS Cheshire East as they embark on a process of change to reflect the evolving landscape in VCFSE Sector organisations and Health and Social Care more broadly. A fan of servant leadership models, Kathryn believes her role as CEO is to support the breadth of amazing people around her to achieve the very best they can for their local communities.
Warrington Voluntary Action
Warrington Voluntary Action supports the development of a vibrant, thriving and sustainable VCSE to meet the diverse needs of local communities. To do this they:
Provide information, guidance and resources enabling local voluntary, community and faith organisations to deliver effective quality services.
Promote, support and develop social action and volunteering for individuals and local communities to make a positive difference.
Initiate and nurture the development of new groups, schemes, enterprises or activities to meet identified needs.
Support local networks and forums to facilitate and encourage effective partnerships and strengthen cross-sector working.
Enable effective representation and involvement in key strategic partnership bodies to ensure third sector organisations have a strong voice.
Alison Cullen, CEO Warrington Voluntary Action - alison@warringtonva.org.uk
Alison has worked in Warrington’s Voluntary and Community Sector for over 20 years, of which the last 11 years have been at Warrington Voluntary Action (WVA) as the Chief Executive Officer. At WVA she manages a multi-skilled team that is passionate about supporting people in need and building stronger more resilient communities, helping them to flourish. As the CEO, one of her roles is to ensure that WVA is effective in representing the sector and to take an active lead on addressing the issues that matter most to community and voluntary groups across the borough. The work involves ensuring a collective voice for statutory agencies, creating effective partnerships and helping to influence and shape policies that will strengthen local voluntary and community action.
Alison says:
“Leading an infrastructure organisation that provides support and advice to the voluntary sector provides me with a wealth of information and intelligence about Warrington’s community and the needs of local people. It’s a privilege to hold such an exciting and rewarding role and being part of a brilliant team that really makes a difference in Warrington.”
Cheshire Community Action
Cheshire Community Action (CCA) is the leading rural support charity working with people and communities across Cheshire, Halton and Warrington. It helps communities to improve the places and spaces that are important to them, and connect people with the support they need by providing services in community engagement, neighbourhood planning, enabling affordable housing delivery, developing and managing community buildings and assets, and health and wellbeing support.
Mark Reading, Chief Operating Officer, Cheshire Community Action - mark.reading@cheshireaction.org.uk
Mark re-joined Cheshire Community Action in 2011 working in a variety of operational and management roles to support Cheshire and Warrington communities. He currently specialises in adult health, collaborative working, contract and project management. He also assists other team members in delivering engagement work across different strands of the business.
John Heselwood, Community Housing Development Manager, Cheshire Community Action - john.heselwood@cheshireaction.org.uk
John joined Cheshire Community Action in 2006 working in a variety of community development, policy influencing and management roles to support Cheshire and Warrington communities. He specialises in rural policy, community and neighbourhood planning, assessing housing needs and is now developing the Cheshire and Warrington community led housing hub to support communities to tackle local housing issues.
Cheshire West Voluntary Action
Cheshire West Voluntary Action (CWVA) helps communities in west Cheshire grow and thrive by connecting charitable organisations, volunteers and businesses to champion social action, working closely with charities, social enterprises, community groups, voluntary organisations and faith groups.
In total, CWVA has nearly 500 members, offering invaluable support to the community sector in west Cheshire. This includes free or subsidised training, networking opportunities, specialist funding support, advice around governance and managing your organisation, access to CWVA’s brand-new volunteer platform and support with volunteer management, opportunities through the SkillShare initiative to be matched with other sectors so you can take advantage of their skills and expertise, plus much more.
Gary Cliffe, Interim CEO, Cheshire West Voluntary Action - Gary.cliffe@chesterva.org.uk
Gary supports the Deputy CEO by providing advice and guidance on CWVA's strategic direction. CWVA has such a lot going on so Gary helps make sure the organisation is around the right tables engaging with all key stakeholders. With many important changes – for example, how health and social care is provided – in the near future, it is such an important time for CWVA to make sure the sector and its members’ voices are heard. Gary is passionate about championing the underdog and loves understanding the framework for how services are delivered to people who need support.
Clare Harrison, Deputy CEO, Cheshire West Voluntary Action - clare.harrison@chesterva.org.uk
The community sector is the only one Clare has ever worked in so she has plenty of invaluable experience, leading CWVA's talented and experienced team. Clare loves the diversity of CWVA’s membership and feels it is a privilege to work with all members. Working alongside Gary and the Board, she helps set the direction of CWVA and the support offered to the growing membership.
