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Ann's Story

Customised Services

Conferences

Events and visits for venues

Evaluations - surveys and focus groups

Rainbow-Plus ™

C.V.

Contact

Education/Qualifications

1967
BA Sociology/Political Studies (University of Hull)
1973
SSRC Summer School in Social Survey Methodology
1996
Certificate in Meeting Management (endorsed IMHI, a joint venture between ESSEC and Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration)
1999
British Psychological Society's Certificates of Competence in Occupational Testing (Ability and Personality)
2001
MBTI® Practitioner
2001
Certificated Practitioner in NLP (the Art of Neuro Linguistic Programming)

Paid Employment

1995 - Present
Meetings and Management Consultant

I have worked with people from both the profit and not for profit sectors in the UK, other parts of Europe and North America. Work has spanned facilitation and presentations, staff training, research and evaluation, project management, policy development and planning and events organising. I am a regualar presenter both at home and abroad. I make use of a wide range of tools and techniques, including psychometric instruments and games, many of which I have designed. I have also created the personality assessment system Rainbow-Plus ™

1992 - 1995
Director National Housing and Town Planning Council (NHTPC - now merged with the Royal Town Planning Institute)

NHTPC was a charitable company, spanning public and private sectors and working nationally and regionally. Its national executive committee comprised the company's 37 non-executive directors, who were drawn mainly from senior officers and members in local government. As Director, I was responsible for:

* drawing up a business plan based on a substantial review of the organisation and its activities, involving detailed consultation at both national and regional levels.
* management of staff and finance.
* obtaining sponsorship for the Council's activities.
* servicing the national executive committee.
* writing policy papers.
* lobbying and responding to Government.
* organising events, including what was then one of the largest national housing conferences.
* writing and speaking widely, including contributing a regular column to the Municipal Journal.
* dealing with both the written and broadcasting media.
* liaising with and advising the Council's twelve regions.

1987 - 1992
Freelance Consultant in the Not for Profit Sector

The majority of my time was spent setting up and working with Radical Improvements for Peripheral Estates (RIPE). RIPE drew its membership primarily from local government, estate based organisations, academics and other housing and regeneration bodies. My work mainly entailed:

* organising seminars and study tours
* lobbying and responding to Government
* speaking and writing to promote RIPE
* research (please see below)

I was also involved in research, evaluation and seminar and study tour design and organisation for other voluntary sector bodies.

1984 - 87
Assistant Director NHTPC

1983-84
Advisor to Baroness Ewart-Biggs and non-executive Board Members of the (then) London Transport.

1979 - 83
Research and Development Officer, Westway Nursery Association

I was based in Earl's Court which, at the time, housed large populations of both low income migrant workers and families (many of them headed by single parents) living in b&b accommodation, as a result of becoming homeless. My work focused on:

* monitoring the Association's nursery and drop in centres.
* outreach work amongst potential users.
* research (see below).
* representing the Association on other bodies (e.g. I chaired the local council of voluntary service, was a member of the borough's under fives committee and the management committees of a drug abuse research project and a community language centre).

1977 - 78
Special Projects Officer and Head of Temporary Lettings Section, London and Quadrant Housing Association

1971 - 76
Lecturer/Senior Lecturer, Architectural Association

At the time, the Association's school was, I believe, the largest school of architecture, in Europe. I variously:

* ran a unit.
* tutored and supervised individual students.
* taught throughout the school on such matters as social survey methodology, social and legal aspects of housing and political theory.
* co-ordinated social studies throughout the main school, including events involving external speakers.

1970 - 71
Part time Lecturer, City College of Further Education

1968 - 70
Primary School Teacher

1967 -68
Interviewer (then) Government Social Survey

Main Research Publications

1992
Limbering Up (Published RIPE, supported by The Joseph Rowntree Foundation)

This is based on the results of a study of community empowerment on peripheral estates. A detailed survey was carried out on estates in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Interviews were conducted with residents, key estate workers, local politicians and senior personnel. In addition, several feedback sessions were held. The publication contains practical empowerment exercises, as well as analysis and proposals.

1981
24 Hours a Day (Published Westway Nursery Association)

This is based on the results of a survey of parents of under fives, living in Earls Court, and resulted in need based proposals for provision.

1973
Church, Property and People (Published British Council of Churches)

Based on the results of a survey of half the Christian clergy in Bradford, Derby and Lambeth, this resulted in proposals for the use of chuch property for community purposes in multi racial areas.

1971
Better than No Place (Published Shelter)

Based on the results of a survey amongst residents, this resulted in need and choice based proposals for housing improvement in North Islington.

In all these studies, I was responsible for design, management, analysis and write up.

Other

I have been a local councillor, a parliamentary candidate, a member of two health authorities, chair of both primary and secondary school governors and a member of many voluntary sector management committees.

I am a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Member of the Institute of Directors, a Member of the British Association for Psychological Type and of Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the world's largest association of meeting professionals.