Meet the DSC Associate Trainers

- Amsel von Spreckelsen - CIMA Dip MA

Amsel has over 12 years of experience as a dedicated charity management accountant and understands the finance function of small and medium organisations inside out. They have worked at strategic, management and operational level across a range of roles and sectors. They know about the hard decisions at the top of an organisation and the granular data-entry and systems reconciliations happening on the shop floor.

Amsel has particular experience in the charitable arts sector, including issues around trading and membership income, and while working at Glyndebourne in Sussex developed and ran the Theatre Tax Relief claim process worth over £1 million annually. They also have worked extensively within the LGBTQ+ space, including twice as a trustee (currently they are treasurer of Bi Pride UK).

Mark is a certified GDPR Data Protection Practitioner and founder of Hope and May. Over the past 12 years he has worked alongside more than 1000 charities delivering advice and guidance. His team represents more than fifty charities of all types as the permanent GDPR Data Protection Officer (DPO) and as a result, have amassed considerable experience of the law and how it specifically impacts charities.

Hope and May are the sole trusted supplier of advice to members of the NCVO and ACEVO and to grantees of the Lloyds Bank Foundation, and they are a corporate member of the ACO.

To find out more about Hope & May, please visit www.hope-may.com.

- Tessé Akpeki -

Tessé is passionate about working with organisations and individuals to achieve their highest potential and create futures that make a difference.

Tessé is lead consultant to the Governance Development Programme Onboard, a brand of Bates Wells & Braithwaite London LLP, for which she authored ‘Governing with intent’. Previously she was the Head of the Trustee and Governance Team for the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.

Currently Chair of the Governance and Nominations Committee, Tessé has also served as a Commissioner of the Equal Opportunities Commission and a Non-Executive Director in the NHS.

Tessé draws on her extensive experience when coaching and mentoring to help strengthen governance and leadership. Among others Tessé has worked with Womankind, the Market Research Society, YMCA St Paul’s Group, Share Community Ltd, and grant makers including Barrow Cadbury and Lloyds Foundation.

- Nick Day - BA (Hons), DipDM, DET, MIDM, MCIM

Nick’s 30 years in marketing began in advertising, developed through direct marketing and now focuses mainly on maximising the many opportunities presented by digital media.

As well as being a practitioner, Nick leads a variety of training. He has delivered accredited marketing qualifications for over a decade and has delivered in-house training for commercial and charitable organisations including Sony, British Airways, Royal Mail, Parkinson’s UK, Age UK and Amnesty International.

Nick graduated in Business Studies and holds a Diploma in Direct Marketing and a Diploma in Education and Training. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing.

- Robert Foster -

Robert is a consultant and trainer experienced in Social Impact Measurement (SIM), Social Impact Management, and Social Return on Investment (SROI).

Previous projects include co-developing SIM methodology which has been applied in the UK and by the South Sudan Development Agency, conducting SROI analysis for local authorities in London, and impact reporting for organisations including The Young Foundation and Clinks.

Robert has delivered training and spoken at conferences nationally and internationally for clients including the British Council, NGO Management Switzerland, and the World Bank.

Robert, a published author, writes frequently on the subject of SIM and is particularly interested in how organisations create, quantify and share different types of value.

- Gill Jolly -

Gill is an expert trainer and consultant with over 30 years of charity sector experience. She has been a fundraiser, manager, director, and before setting up her own consultancy, headed up the fundraising for one of the top 10 income generating charities in the UK.

A psychology graduate, Gill is passionate about helping others to achieve their full potential. She works with regional, national and international charities and past clients include Interpol, WWF, Redwings Horse Sanctuary, Build Africa, various adult and children’s hospices, Cambridge University Colleges, numerous Wildlife Trusts and Sue Ryder Care.

Gill is a regular speaker at conferences and has contributed to a number of books. In 2012, in recognition of her contribution to fundraising, Gill was made a Fellow of the Institute of Fundraising.

- Genny Jones -

Genny is a specialist trainer in accounting and has 20 years of experience in the charity sector. She qualified with the Association of Accounting Technicians, gained the NVQ 3 in Training and Development, and holds the Higher National Diploma in Business and Finance.

Genny is gifted at simplifying the subject of accounts - she uses a unique style of delivery to convey accounting information in a way that makes sense to delegates. Among others, Genny has delivered training for Community Accountancy Self Help, BME Concern, Greenwich Council for Voluntary Services, Opportunities with Experience, and Canterbury University.

- Sandy Leong -

Sandy is a trainer, speaker, published author and consultant with over 25 years of experience. She has worked in developmental roles including Volunteer Centre Manager, Training and Development Officer and Chief Officer of a Racial Equality Council. Also a dedicated volunteer herself, Sandy is currently Chair of the Board of Trustees of a large local charity.

An engaging speaker, Sandy undertakes engagements across the country as well in the Far East and on board cruise ships. Sandy’s clients include Save the Children, Volunteering England, HomeStart UK, Mencap as well as many Councils for Voluntary Service, community groups and numerous others.

- Layla Moosavi - MA (Hons) MSc

Layla is a fundraising trainer, consultant and mentor with 20 years of experience across the charitable sector and the arts. She specialises in corporate fundraising, sponsorship, strategy and business development, and marketing and communications for small charities.

Layla’s previous roles include: Head of Development at the Women’s Resource Centre where Layla managed the team developing fundraising, pricing and marketing strategies; Corporate Development Manager at the Barbican where she cultivated prospects and secured sponsorships and partnerships; and Head of Corporate and Individual Fundraising for a national children’s charity.

Layla is fluent in 4 languages and holds 2 master’s degrees, including a Master of Science in Marketing.

- Mike Phillips -

Mike is a trainer, facilitator, consultant and coach who is passionate about releasing potential through learning and development. He has 25 years of experience in the charity sector with a focus on health and social care. His work has included front-line roles, management positions, and setting up and running a charity.

By applying brain-friendly, interactive and accelerated learning techniques, Mike helps delegates to get the best from their training. He has worked nationally and internationally for a wide variety of organisations including the British Ecological Society, Gurkha Welfare Trust, Big Local, Care Trade, Fostering Network, Anthony Nolan, and The Princes Trust.

- Katie Rabone - MInstF (Dip)

Katie has been a professional fundraiser for 17 years, working across all disciplines including bid writing, individual giving and corporates. Katie has a Diploma in Fundraising from - and is a member of - the Institute of Fundraising.

Her achievements include raising over £1million for a local authority and £400,000 for a women’s refuge, for which she also secured the first major gift. She spent 6 years with Brighton Festival & Dome working with high profile individual donors and managing major corporate accounts.

Katie has been sharing her fundraising expertise as a consultant for 7 years and as a trainer for 4 years. Her clients include The Clock Tower Sanctuary, People United and Community Works. She is also the Grants Consultant for the EY Foundation (Ernst & Young).

- Cathy Shimmin -

A trainer and performance coach with 25 years of experience in learning and development, Cathy has worked across the UK and Ireland in voluntary sector infrastructure and support organisations and is currently Business Development Manager (North) at DSC.

Cathy helps individuals and organisations to identify their L&D needs, then designs and delivers tailored programmes. A skilled facilitator, Cathy is the perfect choice to support team away days or creative sessions, as well as reviews of organisational vision, mission, objectives and values.

Cathy’s main focus is bringing DSC’s quality products and services to the regions beyond London, offering new perspectives and solutions for individuals, teams or the whole organisation.

- Uday Thakkar -

Uday has over 40 years’ experience of organisational and management support. His skills and knowledge have been honed through starting and managing one charity and two social enterprises.

Uday has worked with thousands of individuals and social economy organisations in the UK and globally. He has created numerous toolkits, manuals and guides for a host of umbrella organisations and local and regional authorities.

Uday specialises in strategy, leadership, finance, governance and impact. He is an award-winning mentor. Uday has also been a trustee of two national charities and is the chair of a health charity.

- Chrissie Wright -

Chrissie is a master trainer and coach with over 30 years of experience in management development and communication skills.

As Head of Communication Skills at The Industrial Society for 20 years, Chrissie managed the team responsible for delivering training, education and advisory services for high profile clients in the commercial, industrial, financial, public and voluntary sectors.

Chrissie then spent several years with Capita Learning and Development as Manager of the Communication Skills team. She went on to join DSC as Training Manager, where she remained until becoming an independent training consultant.

Chrissie believes in the power of coaching for individuals and groups, and has a special interest in seeing people develop, particularly through the culture and management style of teams and organisations.

Heather Brierley Staunton is a trainer, facilitator, coach and is Belbin accredited. She specialises in the areas of management, leadership, communication, personal development and wellbeing – pretty much anything to do with working with people and helping people be the best that they can be.

She has worked with small, medium and large organisations, as well as those based locally, nationally and internationally, and has coached and trained people at every level from junior staff up to Chief Executives.

She has always worked within the voluntary sector, previously working for Cancer Research UK, where she worked in several different departments and AIESEC UK, where she was part of the Management Team of the UK branch of AIESEC International, a non-for-profit organisation present in over 100 countries.

She loves being able to help people build their skills, knowledge and confidence. Seeing the people and organisations that she works with develop over time, overcome challenges and achieve their goals is so rewarding and she feel privileged to be able to work with so many diverse organisations.

Leesa has over 30 years’ experience in the charity sector, from frontline fundraiser to executive director and trustee. She began her career in the USA at the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, then the American Cancer Society. Then, after returning to the UK she joined Business in the Community, Save the Children and the Dartington Hall Trust. In 2009 Leesa joined the RNLI as head of Engagement, going on to become Director of Lifesaving and Fundraising, leading the lifeboat, lifeguard and flood rescue operation as well as the fundraising team. In 2018 Leesa set up By the Waves, her charity consultancy, where she on strategy development, income generation, governance and compliance. She also coaches sector leaders and is an interim charity CEO (most recently at Jeans for Genes) and Director. Leesa has been a Trustee at the Royal Osteoporosis Society and The Big Issue Foundation. She is currently a Non-Executive Director on the Dorset NHS Integrated Care Board.

A Project Manager with an inclusive and engaging style, able to build strong working relationships with stakeholders at all levels and particularly those undergoing change.

Hardeep has 30 years experience in procurement and project management and a proven track record of success within both the private and public sector, including with leading organisations such as: British Airways, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Surrey County Council (SCC), Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong and Japan Airlines in Tokyo.

Hardeep has extensive experience in Project Management and Stakeholder Engagement. She has led a number of high profile and complex strategic projects, working to ensure ultimate business success across organisations.

Dr Claire Routley has worked in fundraising for over fifteen years. In 2011, she completed a PhD looking at why people choose to leave legacies to charity. She has worked for Bible Society, Age UK, WRVS and a local hospice. She is now a fundraising consultant and a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the University of Kent’s Centre for Philanthropy. She is also a member of fundraising think-tank Rogare’s international advisory panel and was named AFP’s emerging scholar 2017. She recently co-authored the DSC’s book on Fundraising Strategy.

Richard has over 35 years’ experience in legacies: running supporter focus groups (he has met 35,000 supporters for over 400 charities), drafted hundreds of practical legacy strategies from the very small to the global and he has trained over 40,000 people in “how to communicate legacies” nicely.

He was given the Lifetime Contribution to Fundraising Award in 2018 by the Chartered Institute of Fundraising. His first book, published by Smee & Ford, “Why legacies are brilliant for charities and how to get them” has sold globally.

Miranda Lewis and Matthew Davis founded m2 consultants in 2016. They are expert evaluators and experienced learning partners alongside advocacy and management training.

m2 works primarily with individuals and organisations in the 3rd Sector though, increasingly, our clients include SMEs and the public sector. m2’s clients include Gingerbread, Imperial War Museum, The King’s Fund, Leap Confronting Conflict and Streetwise Opera.

Website: http://www.m2consultants.uk/

Lynda is an award-winning, innovative and published fundraising leader, with 18 years’ experience in the charity sector. She is currently Head of Partnerships and Philanthropy at The Brain Tumour Charity, and has a track record of leading fundraising teams to consistently achieve and exceed on their fundraising targets.

Lynda is experienced in philanthropy, corporate partnerships and trusts fundraising and is a skilled trainer and coach. She is keen for charities to develop and implement a multi-layered partnership approach encompassing all income streams to maximise the potential of a charity’s donor pipeline.

Utilising over 30 years of experience providing consultancy services and programmes in the UK and internationally, Judeline work’s with organisations to develop their people to be the best they can be with a particular emphasis on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion matters.

Judeline is a Lay Panel Member of Employment Tribunals (Discrimination) and was highly commended for her work on EDI by the Institute of Directors coaching C-Suite, Boards, and aspiring leaders through challenging conversations to achieve their personal and business aspirations. Judeline is also chair the Norfolk Race Equality, Human Rights Network and a judge with the Third Sector Awards.

Alan Rutter is the founder of Fire Plus Algebra, and a specialist in data visualisation. With a background in journalism, he runs workshops for learning organisations General Assembly and Jolt, and delivers in-house training for clients including the Arts Council, the Health Foundation, DKMS, the BBC, the Department of Health, the Legal Aid Agency and numerous central and local government departments in the UK. He regularly speaks about data visualisation at events including the Open Data Science Conference and the Øredev developer conference. He previously worked for publishing brands including the Guardian, Time Out, Wired, GQ, Vanity Fair and Vogue.