The Alliance Advisory Group (AAG)

Cara Jenkinson is a member of the 'Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce' and Head of Cities at climate solutions charity Ashden. Since 2023, she has been co-Chair of the National Retrofit Hub's Workforce Growth and Skills Development Working Group. She has an MSc in the Economics and Policy of Energy and the Environment from UCL and is a director of a community energy organisation in North London.

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

Richard is founder and CEO of social enterprise, GoodPeople. As leading advocates for responsible development and regeneration, GoodPeople are delivering the ‘Net Zero Careers Accelerator’ - a pan-London Green Skills programme to deliver a ‘Just-Transition’ – supporting diverse, local communities into good, green jobs.    Programme partners include: London’s largest Housing Associations, Local Authorities, Colleges and Universities and a number of major developers and Housebuilders and their supply chains.  The programme aims to place 2,500 people per year into green jobs.

Victoria is Head of Jobs and Training for Clarion Futures the charitable foundation of Clarion Housing Group, the UK’s largest social landlord.  Victoria has over 20 years of experience working in community and regeneration sectors.  She started her career in the public sector before moving into regeneration and housing.    

Clarion Futures Jobs and Training team is a national Award-winning service that provides residents with training and bespoke employability support.     

The team have a strong track record of delivering Government funded programmes including a DWP and ESF programmes.   Victoria has experience of managing large Housing–led, programmes including £33m ESF Programme supporting people into training, work and apprenticeships.

Rob Hargraves (NRH) has been co-Chair of the National Retrofit Hub Workforce Growth and Skills Development Working Group since January 2025. He currently manages Energy System Catapult’s portfolio of skills work for the decarbonisation of domestic properties. As a former teacher of students with special educational needs and disabilities, Rob strongly believes in the power of education to transform lives and is currently working to create accessible and inclusive training materials to fill gaps within the retrofit training landscape.

Tom is Group Strategy Director at RE:GEN Group. Tom believes that social housing can be a platform for education, employment
opportunity, better health and deeper community connection. Tom is responsible for RE:GEN Academy, a non-profit making skills provider that
supports pathways into sustainable employment for those living and connected to the
communities that RE:GEN work within. The Academy provides direct support to members of
the community as well as RE:GEN’s supply chain to break down some of the barriers to
employing people, including trainees and apprentices, in order to unlock further opportunities
for those living and connected to social housing communities.

Sarah leads the strategic direction of all social value activities at Fusion21. With over 20 years of experience in both the public and private sectors, she’s passionate about driving social value outcomes for local communities. A recognised thought leader in implementing social value strategies through planning legislation, Sarah has overseen the generation of over £155m in social impact at Fusion21. Dedicated to equality and diversity, Sarah is committed to providing fair opportunities for all. 

Kate Shone is managing director of Torus Foundation, the charitable arm of Torus, the largest social landlord in the North West with over 40,000 homes. Kate holds an MSc in Management from the University of Chester and has been part of Communities that Work since its inception. Kate is passionate that our communities have access to much needed services that tailor their individual needs depending on circumstances, personal skills and goals, to get people to a place in the life they wish to be.

Nic McGrath is Director of Newground Together, a registered charity which is an integral part of the Together Housing Group, one of the largest Housing Associations in the North of England. Nic leads Together Housing's Social Value Strategy with a key priority in supporting residents to secure work, training and volunteering opportunities. Nic is a passionate advocate for partnership working, as collaborations with community organisations, local authorities and social housing providers create the most effective networks to maximise support for communities.

Erica is Head of Employment, Skills and Inclusion at SNG and sits on the SNG Community Foundation leadership team. Her role includes responsibility for employment support, debt advice and financial and digital inclusion. Erica joined SNG in 2020 and previously worked for Clarion Housing Group leading employment programmes including Love London Working.

Caroline McDonald is CEO of HOLEX, the membership body for Adult Community Education and Learning in England. With over two decades of experience in adult education and community engagement, Caroline's leadership has been marked by a commitment to increasing education opportunities for those who missed out on the best start in life. Caroline's vision for HOLEX includes growing the organisation's influence and ensuring that adult education continues to be a gateway to long-term employment and empowerment.

Laura Davis is the CEO of the British Association for Supported Employment and Inclusive Trading CIC. Laura has over 20 years’ experience in driving disability inclusion through the evidenced based Supported Employment Model, promoting quality and delivering workforce solutions. Sitting on the Government’s Disability Confident Leaders group supporting employers to move from Disability Confident to Disability Confident in Action, Laura is also the mother of three disabled and neurodivergent children and a foster mum.

Gemma is a Senior Manager within Together Housing’s Net Zero Team, responsible for the successful delivery of all Retrofit, Renewable Heat and Renewable Power investment programmes. Gemma is delivering on government and internally funded works, responsive insulations and all renewable heat installations and is also responsible for the EPC programme, data collection and scenario modelling to reach Together Housing’s Carbon Reduction goals and to ensure the affordability of warm, comfortable homes. Gemma is a Board Member for Emerging Leaders within SHAP – Sustainable Housing Action Partnership alongside being a Director for Community Energy Preston.

Kate is a Policy Officer at the National Housing Federation, working on decarbonisation, energy efficiency, and supporting work more broadly on the quality of homes.  She has previously worked in the New Zealand civil service across housing and public health, with a focus on financing for social housing and the relationship between social housing and health, as well as working more broadly on infrastructure funding and financing arrangements. 

Luke McCarthy is Programme Lead for the Net Zero Careers Accelerator (NZCA). NZCA is a recruitment service, operated by social enterprise GoodPeople, which meets the hiring needs of net zero/green businesses. NZCA has a particular focus on construction and the built environment, including working closely with a range of main and sub-contractors, and with strategic partnerships with housing associations including Clarion and Peabody. NZCA works with education partners and other sources to help people understand the wide range of roles available, and support them into roles. Previously, Luke worked at a county council focusing on green jobs and careers, and has 15 years experience working in skills and employment.

Tom works as Senior Policy and Research Manager for the Northern Housing Consortium (NHC) and is the NHC's strategic lead for Net Zero. Tom's recent research has included work into how government funding for retrofit could link social housing communities to new employment opportunities in the green economy. Prior to his current role, Tom worked at Livin Housing, based in the North East of England.

Charlotte is a Policy Officer at the National Housing Federation where she focuses on residents and services. She previously led on climate resilience policy, as well as supporting work more broadly on the sustainability and quality of homes. Before joining the NHF, she worked across academia, think tanks and climate tech networks on sustainability projects.

Julie Anne is an award-winning social entrepreneur and social housing professional with over 15 years in relevant sustainability projects. Currently leading Torus’s Sustainability Agenda, ensuring that Torus customers remain at the heart of the Group’s journey towards net zero, she is also keen to normalise and eradicate the myths and apprehension often associated with decarbonisation projects. Julie Anne is responsible for securing and managing funding initiatives that enhance and support Torus’s transition to Net Zero. She has also held the role of non- executive director of several environmental charities. Julie Anne is passionate about championing a culture where environmental impact is a central consideration within all decision-making processes.

Daniel has worked with Torus Foundation for over nine years, leading the design and delivery of employment support programmes across, regional and local initiatives. A graduate of the Lancaster University Management School in Accounting and Finance, he brings a strong analytical background combined with a passion for creating innovative opportunities that empower individuals living in Torus communities. Through strategic partnerships and targeted programmes, Torus Foundation helps residents build skills, access opportunities, and achieve long-term economic independence. Daniel’s expertise lies in managing complex employment and skills projects, fostering collaboration with stakeholders, and ensuring that support is tailored to meet the needs of diverse communities. He has a keen interest in to innovation and inclusion to create pathways that give people opportunities and choices.