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Meet the Mentors & Peer Supporters for People & Place 2025

Updated: 2 days ago

“Developing a sustainable community asset is not for the faint hearted.” Yvonne Field, The Ubele Initiative

It takes grit, resilience and determination to bring bold ideas for your neighbourhood to life.


That’s why the People & Place mentor programme exists – to connect local innovators with the mentor or peer supporter they need, on the wiggly, ambitious journey of community asset development. 


Whether experienced mentors who’ve been through it before, learned hard lessons and are now offering guidance to the next wave. Or peers on a similar journey, sharing tools, solidarity and know-how. Or technical practitioners sharing expertise in architecture, governance, planning or finance.


In January, the 16 People and Place 2025 peers began working with the Footwork team to be carefully matched with a mentor or peer supporter, who will walk alongside them this year – collaborating to tackle key strategic challenges they’re coming up against in their work. 


This might include business planning for long-term sustainability, developing funding strategies to unlock assets, supporting project management and phasing, or helping to articulate the mission and vision of the work. 


In 2025, the mentors and peer supporters represent 10 phenomenal organisations including community asset developers, strategists, technical experts and practitioners to support peers across the country:

Stour Trust 

Transition by Design

Hastings Commons

The Ubele Initiative

Kitty’s Laundrette

WeCanMake

PG Collective

ARUP

Middlemarch CLH

Meanwhile Space


Here’s a flavour of what they are currently grappling with together …

Image: Juliet, Len and Simon during the January gathering

Location: Good Shepherd Studios


Juliet Can, Director, Stour Trust

Together Juliet, Krissie and Len are working on a number of strands of work to build the team’s confidence and capacity for the year ahead. Developing a plan for the financial resilience of the East End Trades Guild CLT, helping them to advocate for the impact of their work, and supporting them in hosting a series of industry round tables discussing ‘social value leases’ for businesses.

Juliet has a background as a community asset developer, equality and justice campaigner and is the founder of social enterprise Stour Trust, which provides affordable work, civic and creative spaces.

"The East End of London has a long and rich history of nurturing and growing grass roots enterprises. These businesses anchor communities with vital services and showcase the diversity, creativity and resilience of Londoners while demonstrating what it means to have thriving neighbourhoods. I look forward to supporting EETG towards their vision for a CLT and ensuring that local traders are not priced out of their own neighbourhoods." Juliet Can, Stour Trust

Image: Ellie and Alex at St Edburg's School

Location: St Edburg's School, Bicester


Alex Towler, Architect and Cofounder, Transition by Design

Together, Alex Towler and Alex Lui are working towards building Alex Lui’s capacity to ‘be a good client’, to ask the right questions and de-mistify built environment processes. Increasing Alex Lui’s confidence in undertaking a technical retrofit project of a historic asset.

Alex is an architect at Transition by Design and a design tutor at Oxford Brookes. Over the last 20 years, he has worked on a broad range of environmentally and socially progressive projects.

"I am looking forward to supporting Alex in this exciting project. It is great to have Footwork’s enablement for the scheme, allowing me to work with Alex. Making social change is challenging and often requires working with very lean resources. Having dedicated time will provide an opportunity for rapid upskilling in navigating the exciting but complex world of working with old buildings and repurposing them for social good." Alex Towler, Transition by Design

Image: Angela and Gill hosting Local Trust at CommUnity Corner

Location: Community Corner, Wigan


Dr Jess Steele OBE, Hastings Commons

Together Jess, Angela and Gill are creating a financial model that maps out how they can activate and programme an asset whilst ensuring its financial viability. This will help them to move quickly and confidently, once the right asset in their neighbourhood becomes available.

Jess has thirty years of experience as a community asset developer and entrepreneur in Deptford and Hastings, as well as at a national level working with government, funders, corporates and academics.

"I’m excited about working with Angela and Gill because their work is so completely rooted in the local community and they are ambitious about the idea of ’self-renovating neighbourhoods’ both physically and socially. There are so many different opportunities and they need some support to be able to consider the benefits and viability of each option.” Dr Jess Steele OBE, Hastings Commons

Image: Amahra sharing her story with peers at the January gathering

Location: Good Shepherd Studios


Yvonne Field OBE, CEO and Founder, THE UBELE INITIATIVE

Together Yvonne and Amahra are working to realise Amahra's vision for ABUELOS, a cultural centre with accommodation, as a site of radical hospitality and artistry in a former stables building in Ladywood, Birmingham.

Yvonne is a pioneering social justice advocate, strategic leader, and entrepreneur with over 45 years of experience driving systemic change. As the Founder and CEO of The Ubele Initiative, she has been at the forefront of community wealth-building, capacity-building, and policy influence, empowering Black and Global Majority communities across the UK and beyond.

“Developing a sustainable community asset is not for the faint hearted, neither is managing personal and professional change. I have years of experience of building initiatives from their initial idea and navigating big life change! I am excited to be able to share some of the learning and insights to support Amahra’s journey towards creating Abuelos and other significant acts. I am also very keen to see what I learn from Amahra.” Yvonne Field OBE, THE UBELE INITIATIVE

Image: Grace and Simon after a day of peer support

Location: Stretford Public Hall, Stretford



Grace Harrison, Organisational Development Lead, Kitty's Laundrette

Is providing peer support to: Simon, Stretford Town Centre Forum

Together Grace and Simon are working to realise Simon’s vision for developing more meaningful opportunities to take on under-used assets and influence wider development plans of the large-scale Stretford Town Centre redevelopment project.

Grace Harrison is a founder and current Organisational Development Lead at Kitty's Launderette, a worker-community co-operative in North Liverpool. In 2024 Grace travelled to the USA and Italy to research worker and social co-operatives in the laundry and cleaning sector as well as their relationship with other community wealth building systems.

"I am excited to learn more about Stretford Town Forum’s vision for their neighbourhood and how they hope to build strategically on the strong foundations and community networks already laid through Stretford public hall. Peer to peer support is vital and it’s a great opportunity to see a shared challenge through another organisation's eyes.” Grace Harrison, Kitty's Laundrette

Image: Pippa and fellow peers at on the Liverpool field trip

Location: Kitty's Laundrette, Anfield


Riannan Martinson, Development and Operations Lead, WeCanMake

Together Pippa and Riannan are working to demystify the process of becoming a Registered Provider (RP), to enable access to Homes England funding. Hoping to unlock funding and support Pippa in plotting out key milestones over the year ahead.

Riannan has worked in Bristol’s Community-led Housing Sector since 2017 and has a background in project management, operations and finance. Riannan is the Governance and Operations Lead at WeCanMake and is passionate about empowering and enabling others to build regenerative and cohesive communities on their terms.

“Pippa’s already achieved a huge amount in Whitleigh, and there’s so much synergy with the work we’re doing at WeCanMake. I’m really excited by the opportunity to use my experience and skills to support Pippa in overcoming some of the challenges she’s facing in her project, and hope to bring some joy to the dry world of Registered Provider applications!” Riannan Martinson, WeCanMake

Image: Paulette showing Naomi the plans for Clitterhouse Farm

Credit: Our Yard at Clitterhouse Farm, Brent


Bob Thust, Cofounder and Partner at PG Collective

Is providing peer support to: Paulette, Our Yard at Clitterhouse Farm

Together Bob and Paulette are working to update their vision statement, re-work their business plan and ensure confidence in their governance model, so that organisational foundations feel they they represent they way in which they’re working.

Bob has held multiple Directorships spanning the private and third sectors. With a background in charity accounting, corporate responsibility and foundations. He co-founded PG Collective to help challenge traditional power dynamics and outdated governance practices, working alongside passionate people to help create a more socially just, equitable and sustainable world.

“I’m really excited to work with Paulette to help realise the next stage of Our Yard at Clitterhouse Farm, and unlock the enormous potential it has both locally and as a beacon of how developers and councils can work constructively with community led projects nationally.  We’re going to be looking at the ongoing co-development of strategy & legal structure - helping ensure there are great foundations for future growth whilst maintaining the core ethos and connection to the local neighbourhood and the passions of those that live there” Bob Thust, PG Collective

Image: Alan, Neil and Helene during a Mentorship workshop, image by Helene Gosden

Location: West Marsh Community Centre


Helene Gosden, Associate Director, ARUP

Together Helene, Catherine, Alan and Neil are developing a programme of work to unlock and retrofit three properties in West Marsh, Grimsby by the end of 2025. Appointing a housing manager and setting up a business plan so Alan and Neil can step back and enjoy their retirement. 

Helene is a chartered engineer and advocate for the re-use of existing buildings and assets. She is Arup’s UK Retrofit at Scale Taskforce leader, addressing the complex system challenge of retrofitting UK building stock at scale to meet our net zero commitments, whilst also seeking to maximise the wider benefits to local communities through a place-based approach to transformation.

“Alan and Neil are inspirational and so deeply committed to their community. They are on a mission to turn derelict, vacant properties into secure, quality homes for local people through an ethical community landlord model. Rental Income will then help to sustain the community centre and its outreach programmes. We’ll be doing as much as we can to help them on their journey and to maximise the impact of their work.” Helene Gosden, ARUP

Image: the Sheffield CLT team during a Mentorship workshop, image by Alison Ward

Location: Union Street, Sheffield


Alison Ward, Executive Director, Middlemarch Community Led Housing

Alison, James, Marie and Ethan are working on organisational systems which will cover communication, vision articulation and funding strategies. Creating a clearer organisational overview and confidence in these processes so the SCLT are prepared to unlock their first asset.

Alison is a community land trust (CLT) adviser and co-founder of Middlemarch CLH CIC. With extensive experience supporting CLTs through Middlemarch and the CLT Network (as trustee, hub manager, and associate), she’s helped over 100 CLTs set up and work on delivering affordable homes for local communities.

“The Sheffield CLT team is full of skills, experience, and a deep passion for place, all driven by their values as a community-led organisation. It's such a great opportunity to work with such a capable and engaged group, and to have the opportunity to help them to turn their vision and passion into reality at this point in their community led housing journey.” Alison Ward, Middlemarch CLH

Image: Dhelia, Leslie, Emily and Jen during a Mentorship meeting

Location; The Granville, Kilburn


Jen Storan, Projects Director and Emily Berwyn, Executive Director at Meanwhile Space

Together Jen, Emily, Leslie and Dhelia are working to activate The Granville and create a vision of the building to inspire and excite their community. Whilst also plotting out the next steps of a nuanced development to give Leslie and Dhelia confidence in the process of community asset development.

Jen and Emily work to democratise access to space in cities and to support communities to take greater agency in shaping their own neighbourhoods. They are Executive Director and Projects Director of Meanwhile Space, a pioneering social enterprise which for over 15 years has been delivering projects and strategies to repurpose empty land and buildings, unlocking space for users and uses excluded by the commercial property system.

“This is the stage of the journey where all Leslie and Dhelia's energy and passion and commitment takes shape in concrete plans and programs. It's exciting to get this chance to work through some of the practicalities with them, and to share tools and ideas which hopefully can help them find their path to successful delivery of a great project.” Jen Storan, Meanwhile Space

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