Email: alicja@taipawb.org
Direct Line: 02922 788 911
Twitter: @AlicjaTaiPawb

Responsible for: Providing leadership in the development and advancement of Tai Pawb’s strategic direction and operational management. Championing and promoting equality and diversity in housing in Wales.

Experience and Interests: Alicja previously worked for the equality sector focusing on grassroots and community work, support and advice as well as strategy, policy and research. She has an M.A. in English Philology and an MSc in Equality and Diversity from Cardiff University. She strongly believes in equality work based on compassion, respect and cultural change. Born in Poland, Alicja moved to Wales in 2004 and likes walking her dog and camping.

Email: ceri@taipawb.org
Direct Line: 02922 788 915
Twitter: @CeriTaiPawb

Responsible for: Existing and new business and income generation.

Experience and Interests: Ceri Meloy joined us in June 2017 as the new Head of Business. Ceri has a wealth of experience in housing and social care having worked for a number of housing associations in South Wales, managing housing and supported housing departments, as well as local authority housing. More recently she was Director of Dimensions in Wales.

Email: ross@taipawb.org
Direct Line: 02922 788 943

Responsible for: Tai Pawb’s communications, policy and political influence and visibility.

Experience and Interests: Prior to joining Tai Pawb, Ross worked as an Account Manager at Freshwater, a leading, Cardiff-based PR agency, supporting and advising clients across the public and private sector on their communication, stakeholder engagement and public affairs. He has a degree in Social Policy from Swansea University and went onto postgraduate study in Politics and Public Policy at Cardiff University. Ross has more than ten years’ experience in grassroots community development and community relations, having previously worked for the Communities First programme. He has been a County Borough Councillor in Bridgend since 2012 and was the Mayor of Maesteg in 2013/14.

Email: vicki@taipawb.org

Direct Line: 02922 788 944

Twitter: @vickifoley_

Responsible for: Managing and maintaining the relationship between Tai Pawb and its members and other service users, including developing membership support activities.

Experience and Interests: Vicki has worked in the housing sector for over 15 years, starting in maintenance and private sector housing at Cardiff Council and then Cadwyn Housing Association where she headed two homelessness services and an estate agency, these services were delivered in partnership with local authorities in Cardiff, Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr Tydfil.

She has a BSc (Hons) in Psychology and a MSc in Housing and Professional Practice from Cardiff University.

Email: rob@taipawb.org

Direct Line: 02922 788 939

Responsible for: Leading partnership work on Tai Pawb projects and establishing a sustainable fundraising strategy.

Experience and Interests: Since 2015 Rob has had five years as social enterprise manager at Huggard Centre in Cardiff. His responsibilities involved project management of Huggard’s social enterprises and Huggard’s volunteering projects and line management of the teams involved. Rob secured funding for projects to grow and continue to empower those in Huggard’s care to begin making positive changes.
Rob’s background is in vendor outreach and community partnerships for The Big Issue Cymru and social enterprise at Cathays Community Centre. Building skills in supporting people and partnership working.
Rob studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics undergrad at Open University. He is committed to co-production and ‘levelling the playing field’, striving to counteract social barriers for everyone.

Email: jennie@taipawb.org

Direct Line: 02922 788 959

Responsible for: Leading on Tai Pawb’s external communications and marketing work, including delivery of our events programme.

Experience and Interests: Jennie joins Tai Pawb from support charity New Pathways, where she led on their marketing and communications, and chaired the diversity steering group. Prior to that, Jennie managed their National Lottery funded SURE for Mental Health Community Project. She is a qualified teacher with 15 years’ experience working in education and training, including in the students’ union and learner voice movement. Jennie has a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Medieval Studies, a level 5 ILM in Leadership and Management, and a Level 6 Diploma in Professional Marketing.

Jennie is committed to spreading meaningful messages and fostering conversations that challenge stigma and increase understanding. In her spare time, Jennie is a keen gamer and music enthusiast.

Email: david@taipawb.org

Direct Line: 02922 788 956

Responsible for: Tai Pawb’s policy function, including the “Back the Bill” campaign.

Experience and Interests: Prior to joining Tai Pawb, David worked at the National Lottery Community Fund for 12 years, where he designed user-led funding streams supporting youth employment and families affected by poverty, as well as delivering peer-learning programmes for staff. He has a degree in History from Cardiff University and went on to study an MSc in Regeneration studies. In his spare time, he volunteers with his village cricket club.

Email: anna@taipawb.org

Direct Line: 02922 788 944

Responsible for:    The Private Rented Sector champions network, which is part of the Gwent BOOST project funded by the National Lottery Helping End Homelessness.

Experience and Interests: After her undergrad degree in Childhood and Youth Studies at Exeter University, Anna completed a PGCE in Primary Education and worked as a teacher in Bristol, India and Wales for six years. She then moved into post-16 education with the homeless charity Llamau, after seeing how many pupils were falling through the net in mainstream education. At Llamau, Anna worked in the Learning, Training and Employment team for five years, supporting young people with complex and multiple barriers who were unable to access any other form of education or training. Anna is passionate about expanding educational opportunities to help everyone achieve their potential. She loves travelling and learning new languages.

Email: lynsey@taipawb.org

Direct Line: 02922 788 953

Twitter: @Lynsey__Davies 

Responsible for: Developing positive relationships with members throughout the membership life cycle and co-ordinating membership services and benefits.

Experience and Interests:    Lynsey has experience in Customer Services in the private, public and third sector, most recently setting up and managing the Customer Solutions team at Newydd Housing Association.

Lynsey has a degree in Business Studies and Human Resource Management from UWIC and holds a Stage 2 certificate in British Sign Language.

Email: andrea@taipawb.org

Direct Line: 02922 788 950

Responsible for: The day-to-day organisation and co-ordination of the office. This involves looking after Tai Pawb’s membership, database information, the governance of the organisation and charity’s financial affairs.

Experience and Interests: Andrea is AAT qualified and has an MSc in Management. Andrea previously worked in the Care Sector for 22 years, and was responsible for the administration and financial functions for Hafod Care Association. Prior to this time she worked in Further Education. Andrea has an interest in musical theatre.

Bethan is a fluent Welsh speaker from North Wales and has been delivering training on E&D for over 20 years, with a focus on equality legislation.  Previously she worked for three statutory equality commissions for over 15 years, and has been contracted by a range of public and third sector bodies, including the Older People’s Commission in Wales, Civil Service Learning, Cardiff and Bangor Universities and the NHS.

Bethan is a Mental Health First Aid Instructor (Welsh Government approved since 2008). She is also a mental health tutor for Cardiff University’s PGCE courses and runs mental health training across the public, private and third sectors. Bethan has been an Employment Tribunal Member since 2010.  Her qualifications include an MSc in Equality and Diversity, MA in Women’s Studies (Applied) and an MSc in Health Economics.

Colin has been working as a trainer, consultant and coach in the field of equality and diversity for over 20 years. He has experience of working with a variety of organisations, including third sector organisations, large public sector organisations, small companies and a number of housing associations. He has an MSc. in Change, Certificates in Groupwork and Human Resource Management, and a Diploma in Leadership Mentoring and Coaching (ILM Level 5).

Through his work he brings about improved practice in equality and diversity and makes the issues discussable. His style is most often described by participants as very engaging.

A fluent Welsh speaker, Dai worked in local government in Wales for 31 years before becoming a freelance consultant on Equalities and Welsh language issues, covering translation work, policy support (development, monitoring and reporting) and training delivery (especially in terms of general Equalities and Welsh Language awareness and undertaking impact assessments).

During his local government career, he gained a BA in Public Management and an MSc in Equality and Diversity. He has experience on a practical level of linking housing and landlord/tenant issues with the Equalities agenda, through training sessions and developing guidance documents, and brings this experience to Tai Pawb as an Associate Member.

Helen has over twenty years experience of working in leadership roles in the housing sector in Wales. Working at Board and Executive team level, she has held direct responsibility for housing management, supported housing, private sector services, maintenance, an in-house contractor, PR and marketing and IT. She understands the complexity and challenges of bringing about the personal and cultural change that improving Equality, Diversity and Inclusion requires. She has a Post Graduate Diploma in Housing and an MBA. In 2020 she gained an MA in Mindfulness Based Psychotherapeutic Practice and is a UKCP registered psychotherapist. She is interested in individuals as well as organisations, and how to overcome the obstacles to change.

Kay is a creative and LGBTQ+ consultant based in Cardiff, South Wales.

Originally from Stoke-on-Trent, Kay moved to Cardiff in 2016.

Kay has worked in many fields, from retail to Vice President of a Students’ Union, volunteering with a mutual aid organisation to delivering trans awareness training at a Welsh Government conference.

Kay’s mission is to be the change that they want to see. Kay works as an LGBTQ+ consultant for productions and organisations, using their lived experience as a trans nonbinary person. Empowering people to make their spaces welcoming and safe places for all, whilst educating organisations about inclusive and aware practice.

Llio has worked in local government in Swansea and Newport for over two decades leading on the fields of equalities, the Welsh language and organisational development. She is experienced in interpreting legislation and forming comprehensive strategies to put equality priorities to work. She has led partnerships on employment, promoting Welsh language in education, and challenging hate crime. She bases her practice on engagement and works to bring diverse people together to visualise and achieve change.

Llio’s qualifications include a degree in Politics and Philosophy, a Masters in Public Administration (MPA), completed whilst working full time, and a Master in Welsh.  She is a Local Authority Governor and a member of Glas Cymru, the company that manages Dŵr Cymru. Llio is a Welsh speaker and is keen on the environment, social justice, and outdoor activities.

Marilyn has a background in housing at both operational and strategic level and has undertaken many roles in the voluntary & private sectors. She has been involved in training for over three decades. Marilyn’s key focus is always to tailor the training to suit organisational needs, resulting in management and staff promoting and celebrating the training.

Diversity and equality has always been Marilyn’s main priority in the workplace. She is passionate about training and believes it is a vehicle in which to effect change in both individuals and organisations.

Noreen Blanluet (she/they) is an experienced facilitator, trainer and public services consultant, with over a decade’s experience in group and team dynamics, relational approaches, collaboration, meaningful engagement, involvement and co-production, compassionate communication, inclusive facilitation and values-based work. They help people delivering public services make things better for the people they support.

A biologist and systems thinker by training, they are skilled at holding the wider picture while bringing attention to detail, with a head for systems and processes and a heart for people and relationships. They weave empathic facilitation and compassionate communication skills through their work. They are interested in complexity, resilience, leadership, nurturing diversity and building community, innovation and continuous learning, and kindness.

Olymbia is based in mid Wales and is passionate about supporting and delivering diversity and inclusion for both organisations and individuals. She has worked as an equality practitioner for over 18 years and has a range of experiences including working as an Equalities, HR and Skills Advisor for businesses across Wales, as an Equalities Advisor for public bodies, managing development programmes and as a freelance consultant. She is also a voluntary Trustee for 2 charities.

She has delivered a range of equality work including project management, training, facilitation and engagement processes, policy formation, equality impact assessments, equal pay audits, equality accreditations, data analysis and report writing. She has worked at Executive, Director and Board level, as well as with equality, organisations, networks and individuals. She is also a coach and mentor (ILM Level 7) and has a MSc in Computer Science.

Sondra is the Founder and CEO of RareQoL, a not-for-profit Sondra Butterworth CV November 2022 company with a mission to improve wellbeing and quality of life for diverse rare disease communities, underserved and under-represented groups.

She gained her MSc in Psychology from Manchester Metropolitan University and PhD in Health and Social Care from the University of Chester, where she developed her skills in mixed methods research.

Twitter: @BoyoCraig

A former Director of Engagement at the Senedd, Craig was awarded the OBE for services to the Welsh Parliament and Equality in the New Year’s Honours List 2021.  Craig enjoyed a 38-year career at the Welsh Office and since 1999, at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay.

Since leaving the Senedd in 2019, Craig has developed a small portfolio career combining his board level experience and passion for equality and fairness:

• Ministry of Justice Public Appointment as a non-legal member of the Employment Tribunal for England and Wales.
• Chair of Tai Pawb which promotes equality and social justice in the Welsh housing sector https://www.taipawb.org/
• Chair of South Wales Gay Men’s Chorus
• Deputy Chair and Community Editor of LGBTQymru which publishes Wales’ first free and fully bilingual, LGBTQ+ lifestyle e-magazine.
• Board member of Tai Ffres – which is taking a fresh approach to ending youth homelessness https://www.unitedwelsh.com/taiffres/
• Welsh Government Public Appointment as Senior Independent Panel Member for Public Appointments in Wales.
• Member of Iris in the Community Advisory Group

Twitter: @SPrescottWales

Sarah is an experienced CFO and NED and the founder and Director of Redyn Consulting.

Sarah has held senior leadership roles in a number of Welsh housing associations, most recently at Valleys to Coast (top 10 housing association, turnover £32m, 250 FTE) as CFO.  Her previous roles include Director of Finance and ICT for Cardiff Community Housing Association, Assistant Director of Finance at Gwalia (now the Pobl Group), and also Director of Finance for Tenovus, the cancer charity.

Sarah was a Board member at Valleys to Coast for a short period of time in 2011 and is currently on the Board of Cardiff and the Vale Care and Repair. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, has a CIPFA qualification in International Treasury Management, a Foundation Certificate in NLP from Chester University and a degree in Economics from Swansea University.

Twitter: @Lindsay_Wallich

Lindsay is the CEO of The Wallich. She previously worked for the National Probation Service and a Community Safety Partnership in England, managing a portfolio which included substance misuse, housing, domestic abuse, community policing and counter terrorism.

Previously Lindsay was the CEO of award winning Newlink Wales and was the co-author of Recovery Framework for Wales. Her particular skill is innovation and she describes herself as a big ideas person.

Lindsay has published academically on the subject of culturally appropriate practice and the challenges of embracing diversity within the substance misuse sector. She is currently studying for her Professional Doctorate and is an honorary research fellow at Cardiff University. Most of all she is a relentless problem solver, skilled strategist and a lover of life!

In 2013, Elaine moved into the not-for-profit sector working for an organisation that supported people with Learning Disabilities to live independently. This opportunity gave her a greater understanding of the importance of having a secure home and how, with the right type of person centred support, it can enable people to grow and develop.

Elaine joined ClwydAlyn in 2015 as Director of Human Resources and was appointed to the Executive Leadership Team in 2018. She is responsible for HR, Communications and Marketing.

Elaine is delighted to join the Tai Pawb Board and support the team to develop a new strategy for the charity.

Twitter: @findlayequality

Graham identifies as a disabled person and has worked on promoting disability equality in Wales and beyond for over 25 years.

Currently the Co-production Lead for national disability charity Scope, he has also worked for Chartered Institute of Housing, managing their award-winning Positive Action for Disability traineeship programme for disabled housing professionals. He also worked for ten years as Access Officer at Disability Wales, including successfully lobbying Welsh Government for the adoption of Lifetime Homes standards.

Graham believes strongly in deeds as well as words, and wants to see inclusive, accessible housing for all as central to the Welsh housing agenda, rather than being stuck in the margins.

Nicola is the Executive Assistant to the Group Chair and Group Chief Executive at Pobl Group and is also a member of the Senior Leadership Team in her capacity as the Strategic Lead for Equality and Diversity. Nicola recognises the importance of promoting equity for all, eliminating discrimination and operating a culture that is truly open and inclusive and where every individual can be themselves. Nicola brings skills, values and passion which compliment Tai Pawb’s work in shaping, making and being the change.

In her spare time Nicola enjoys cruise holidays, family time, keeping fit and the great outdoors with her lively young dog!

Cerys Clark is the policy and public affairs manager for CIH Cymru. Cerys has a background in local authority work from frontline homelessness to housing strategy and policy work. She is also part of the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan stakeholder group. Cerys is also taking part in the pathway to board project as a mentor.  She is currently undertaking a PhD at Cardiff Met looking at preventing rough sleeping in Wales. Cerys is a chartered CIH member.

Louise is currently the Head of IT and Business Improvement at Newydd Group Ltd, having worked there for 10 years. Prior to this Louise worked in IT for a non for profit educational establishment. She is an ITIL Master, Prince2 qualified and Lean 6 Sigma Black Belt and implements all of these in to Newydd wherever possible, along with the operation management of the IT function. Louise is passionate about diversity and inclusion and in particular, how accurate equality data can be the driving force for organisations to make better, informed decisions about the services they provide. In her spare time Louise likes to swim, go to the gym and spend time with her family.

Mariam has over 20 years’ experience working across housing and third sector organisations, focusing on preventing homelessness, supported housing, mental health, and domestic abuse prevention. Mariam is currently Head of Service (Cwm Taf Morgannwg and Vale) for Llamau, Wales’ Largest Youth Homelessness Charity.

Previously Mariam held various roles, including Regional Director of Domestic Abuse services for BAWSO, a leading charity in Wales supporting people from Black and Ethnic Minority backgrounds who are affected by domestic abuse and gender based violence. Mariam has also been an active member of Gwent Regional Safeguarding Board, co-chaired the Gwent anti-slavery group, and sat on the board of MEWN Cymru. Mariam has a BSc. (HONS) in Psychology and a MSc. in Computer Science and has worked in software development before joining the third sector.

As a Black, African, Muslim woman, Mariam has first-hand experience of the challenges faced by marginalised groups. She is a passionate advocate for change and improvement to the housing and support sectors, particularly around issues of equality and social justice.

Josh is the Executive Director of People and Places at Taff Housing Association, with 20 years’ experience in the Social Housing Sector, working in Local Authority and Housing Association roles. Josh oversees all Taff’s customer facing operations and is the strategic lead for their anti-racism Deeds Not Words commitments. He has extensive experience working with a diverse range of customers, delivering specific services to under-represented groups in Cardiff and beyond. He is passionate about high quality customer services and the difference a decent home can make to people’s lives. In his spare time, he is a keen cyclist and runner, and on occasion, brews a bit of beer!