Meet our Executive Team
Lynsey Sweeney
Managing Director
Lynsey Sweeney is the Managing Director of Communities that Work. She has worked across housing, employment and skills for 15 years with Communities that Work and the National Housing Federation. Lynsey was a Director at a central London Further Education College and consulted for KPMG on their World Class Skills programme. Prior to this, she worked for VSO in China, Ethiopia and London.
Jenny Riddell-Carpenter
Managing Director, Advocacy and Public Affairs, Cratus
Jenny has led work in social housing communications and lobbying for ten years. She works on a range of infrastructure and housing briefs, helping clients deliver strategic PR and communication needs.
Charlotte Platten
Account Director, Cratus
Charlotte works with private sector clients and councils to engage with governments and build relationships at a local and national level, run national campaigns and events and engage local residents and stakeholders. Charlotte’s advisory clients include both large unitary authorities and district councils across the UK. Sensitively reviewing and assisting to implement changes in governance, process and culture of these organisations this is something that she finds very rewarding. Working with Cratus’ associates she is able to advise on political management, the running of committees and team structures.
Steve Hickman
Finance Lead
Steve was appointed as Finance Officer for Communities that Work in October 2020. He has worked in Accountancy since leaving college in 1988, both in general practice and in industry, and has an expert knowledge of Sage 50 Accounting & Payroll software packages following a period of time working for a Sage dealer in Southampton, where he was a chief trainer & bookkeeping manager. In 2003 he formed Keystroke Accountancy Services Ltd, supporting the accounting functions of a portfolio of companies and charities, including Communities that Work.
Karen Grout
Lead Administrator
Karen has worked on a part-time basis for CtW for the past year. She was part of the Increase VS project team that helps people to set up their own businesses and supports them to become sustainable, flourishing entrepreneurs. Karen’s background is in HR and she has a keen interest in Emergency Response and Resilience. She has previously worked for the British Red Cross, Benenden Hospital and was with the NHS for over 20 years.
Meet our Board of Directors
Kate Shone
Chair, Communities that Work @ Torus Group
Debra Scarratt
Vice Chair, Communities that Work @ Abri
Debra Scarratt is Group Employment Services Manager at Abri, one of the south of England’s largest housing providers. The team deliver a range of contracts focused on moving people into employment, education and training. Debra worked in the careers and employment sector for 15 years before moving into housing; she brings a wide-ranging wealth of knowledge on best practice to support opportunities for social inclusion and mobility. Debra is hugely impressed by the excellent employment support that housing associations offer on a daily basis to support a range of people. Debra says: "There’s no question that Communities that Work is central to influencing policy, to recognise housing associations as leaders in employment and skill support.”
Rob Bowley
Treasurer, Communities that Work @ Metropolitan Thames Valley
Charmaine Simei
Director, Communities that Work @Tuntum Housing
Charmaine is the Chief Executive of Tuntum Housing. Tuntum is the only independent BME-led Housing Association in the East Midlands managing over 1600 properties in 12 local authority areas across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.
Charmaine was previously the Director of Customer Experience and Communities at Longhurst Group. Voted Professional of the Year at the Women in Housing Awards 2021, she is also a former chair of the Centre of Excellence Community Investment East of England network and co-chair of HACT’s Racial Equality Group, having been a long-serving mentor for the Housing Diversity Network.
Jo Pownall
Director, Communities that Work @ Clarion Futures
Jo Pownall is Employment and Training Development Manager at Clarion Futures Jobs & Training, the charitable foundation arm of Clarion Housing Group, the largest housing association in the country. Jo is responsible for developing Clarion Future's national jobs and training offer, focusing on making sure that services support the employment and skills aspirations of residents and communities. Jo has worked in the social housing sector for 15 years across a number of social housing landlords, building significant experience in community investment, resident involvement and employability services.
Suzanne Jobson
Director, Communities that Work @ Karbon Homes
John Gleeson
Director, Communities that Work @ Southern Housing
John Gleeson is Head of Funding and Innovation at Southern Housing, where he has led a range of initiatives and activities over the past ten years, including employment and skills, financial and digital inclusion and community development.
Prior to joining Southern Housing, John worked for a number of organisations involved in the provision of housing with support, where he gained an understanding of the support needs of clients further from the labour market.
Sandra Coleing
Executive Director of Corporate Services @ Rochdale Boroughwide Housing
Sandra Coleing is the Executive Director of Corporate Services at Rochdale Boroughwide Housing. Prior to this, she was Assistant Chief Executive at Stockport Homes Group. Sandra has worked in the social housing sector for 30 years. She supports a wide range of initiatives across Greater Manchester, ensuring a collaborative approach between housing providers to maximise opportunities for customer and communities.