Your Support Team
Welcome to the CVS team page, where you can get to know the passionate and experienced individuals who are dedicated to supporting and empowering the Cheshire East Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise sector (VCFSE). Whether you're looking to develop your skills, navigate challenges, or simply need advice and resources, our team is here to help you and your organisation achieve your goals and thrive.
Alex Major
Volunteer Team Lead
Alex Major is an experienced Volunteer Coordinator who has been with the CVS since March 2017. Alex specialises in volunteer management and is contracted to work with Refugees Welcome, a smaller charity based in Cheshire East. In this role, Alex provides support to families from Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine with the help of a dedicated team of volunteers. Alex is passionate about community development and has extensive skills in volunteer recruitment, training, and engagement.
Skills and Experience
Interpersonal Relationship Development • Cultural Competency • Project Management • Volunteer Recruitment Coordination and Management
Aoife Middlemass
Sector Development Lead
Aoife is a highly skilled professional with extensive expertise in essential aspects of developing, sustaining, and managing local VCFSE services. With an unwavering commitment to seeing organisations thrive and make a positive impact on the communities they serve, she goes above and beyond to provide our members with tailored tools, knowledge, and guidance that are essential for success.
Skills and Experience
Governance • Organisational Strategy • Training • Trusteeship • Volunteer Management and Recruitment • Bid Writing • Fundraising Strategies •
Dan Carroll
Communications & Outreach Coordinator
Dan is a meticulous and highly skilled professional who specialises in communications and volunteer management. He possesses exceptional skills in handling complex volunteer cases having overseen a partnered project for several years, now leading a team of volunteers within CVS. His networking abilities have also proved instrumental in securing volunteer placements. Dan is adept in communications, developing and implementing multiple strategies whilst leveraging various digital platforms, including social media, to conduct research and outreach supporting the aims of the organisation. In his spare time Dan can be found gaming or reading his way through a stack of books.
Skills and Experience
Volunteer Management • Safeguarding and Disclosure • Social Media and Digital Comms • Data Management • Project Planning and Forecasting • Stakeholder Relationship Development and Collaboration
Eve Naden
ECT Volunteer Support Co-Ordinator (Macclesfield Hospital Team)
As a Volunteer Coordinator, Eve is passionate about empowering volunteers on their respective journeys. She brings four years administrative experience working as a Private Tutor as well as extensive research and communication skills as a Redbrick University graduate. With us, Eve has shaped her role to include journalistic elements, focusing on spotlighting individual volunteer stories as well as investigating the state of the sector. She is adept at digital marketing through social media, using various platforms to engage with audiences. Championing inclusive spaces, Eve also creates accessible resources and thrives on supporting projects which positively impact a community.
In her spare time, she volunteers with The Cat Radio as a presenter, running the weekly ‘Sunday Sessions’ on Cat Xtra. When she isn’t doing that, she competes in poetry slams and has won numerous writing competitions across the US and UK.
Skills and Experience
Administration Expertise • Investigative Research • Digital Marketing • Relationship Development • Collaboration
Graham Brown
Sector Development Officer (Operations and Insights) and Cheshire East Food Alliance Project Lead
Graham is a marketing professional with over 20 years experience across a range of sectors including Economic Development, Government, Healthcare and Higher Education. In June 2022 he left JISC, a not-for-profit membership organisation leading Digital Transformation across UK Higher Education, Further Education and Research. Graham then spent time running the surplus food grocery at Cre8 in Macclesfield. Under his stewardship the number of members, grocery sessions, and funding all increased. Prior to joining Cre8 as a paid for member of staff, he supported their Grocery as a volunteer, alongside other roles with the Hope Centre, and food co-operative Scoop and Scales.
In his spare time, Graham can be found trawling charity shops and second-hand record shops looking for Global beats to play as part of his regular DJ slots. Graham performs around Macclesfield and has a monthly Globally Arranged Beats radio show on Ay up Duck Radio.
Skills and Experience
Food Project Delivery • Volunteer Management and Recruitment • Project Management • Marketing Strategy • Stakeholder Engagement and Communications
Helen Roger
Resource Development Officer
Helen has extensive experience in the management of training and events, with a special interest in upskilling teams to fulfil their potential. As a skilled communicator, she works directly with VCFSE organisations to understand their needs and to equip them with the knowledge and confidence to achieve their goals. With a professional history in medical communications, she has a strong interest in the medical impact of sociological issues and thrives on supporting groups to improve their services and ultimately improve health and wellbeing outcomes for the community. In her spare time Helen likes to paint, try new recipes and see her friends and family.
Skills and Experience
Training Delivery • Networking and Event Management • Meeting Facilitation • Governance • Funding Support • Medical Communications
Kathryn Sullivan
CEO
Kathryn's skills in driving transformational change, fostering innovation, and promoting growth make her a valuable asset to CVS and the VCFSE sector in Cheshire East. She is committed to building strong partnerships and collaborations to tackle the complex challenges facing communities, and she has a proven track record of securing funding for community projects.
Skills and Experience
Leadership and Management • Governance • Organisational Development • Strategic Planning and Visioning • Community Engagement and Outreach • Change Management and Transformation • Coaching and Mentoring • Partnership Development
Laura Shambrook
Operations Support Co-Ordinator
Laura is the Operations Support Co-Ordinator and has previously spent her career as a library assistant both in public and academic libraries. She is a highly organised and methodical administrator and has a wide knowledge of the local community through her years of working in library branches throughout Cheshire East. Laura has a strong interest in autism and disability rights, particularly in areas such as accessibility and inclusivity and has lived experience of disability and caring for family members with disabilities. In her spare time, Laura is a keen crafter, having studied textile design at university and worked as a freelance designer. She also has a passion for animal welfare and has a rescue pony and dog of her own as well as being a volunteer and director of a local equine community interest company.
Skills and Experience
Organisational Operations • Community Connections • Administration Expertise • Relationship Development • Collaboration
Lucy Coates
Sector Development Officer (Projects & Innovation) and Cheshire & Merseyside Cancer Alliance Social Action Lead
Lucy is a professional with considerable experience acquired through project management and mentoring roles undertaken in the business and education sectors and through voluntary work. A competent communicator and with sound attention to detail, Lucy strives to build relationships to work collaboratively and achieve positive outcomes. Lucy enjoys outdoor pursuits particularly cycling, skiing and hill walking with her Jack Russell. She plans to invest in an ebike and hopes to cycle further afield throughout Europe.
Skills and Experience
Project Management • Mentoring and Coaching • Organisational Operations • Relationship Development • Collaboration
Samantha James
Co CEO
Samantha has a rich background in the non-profit sector, specifically in the area of mental health and wellbeing. She is passionate about supporting VFCSE groups to evidence the difference they make to their communities. She also uses her experience to support groups develop strategies and streamline processes. Samantha is currently pursuing a Masters of Social Innovation at Cambridge University, where their research focuses on the role of the voluntary sector in addressing the wider determinants of health.
Skills and Experience
Monitoring & Evaluation Frameworks • Impact Measurement • Project Management • Streamlining Processes • Organisational Strategy • Organisational Operations • Bid Writing • Social Value
Sandra Griffiths
ECT Volunteer Project Lead (Macclesfield Hospital Team)
Sandra brings over 27 years of experience from a variety of roles at Manchester Airport, including managing a 24/7 production and distribution business for a catering and duty-free company. Her extensive background led her to become Regional General Manager overseeing 5 business units. Now at CVS, Sandra utilises her transferable skills to support the community in a meaningful way. Sandra has two rescue Greyhounds, volunteers for East Cheshire Hospice and enjoys travelling to different places around the world.
Skills and Experience
Volunteer Recruitment and Coordination • Operational and Production Management • Project Management Logistics and Procurement • Relationship and Stakeholder Management
Tim Stubbs
Volunteer Project Lead (Giving Time Project)
Tim is the Project Lead for the Giving Time project and was also previously the Volunteer Manager for CVS Cheshire East at Macclesfield District General Hospital, overseeing the contract with East Cheshire NHS Trust. He previously worked as a Library Team Leader/Manager for the University of Derby at the Buxton and Leek Campus and managed the library team at the Chesterfield campus. Tim's experience also includes his former role as a Senior Visitor Welcome Supervisor at Chatsworth House, where he oversaw the day-to-day operations of 16 till points, managed a team of 40 paid staff and over 40 volunteers during peak season, and was responsible for providing first aid on the Chatsworth Estate.
Skills and Experience
Contract Management • Operations Management • Team Management and Leadership • Volunteer Management • First Aid Provision • Customer Service • Conflict Resolution and Complaint Handling