Lucy Evans Project Manager Endeavour House Expand Having volunteered for the Integrated Offender Management team in Probation and subsequently worked for them for a year, I joined Shekinah 2.5 years ago as the trainer at Endeavour House. Three months later I managed to land the role of Project Manager so my day to day life now consists of everything from dealing with probation supervision to practical advice, food parcel referrals, finance meetings and overseeing building work. In my spare time I am a Mum of 4 who suffers a weekly spinning class in order to indulge my occasional love of cake!
Peter Woad Human Resources Manager & Company Secretary Expand Peter joined Shekinah in March 2004 as an administrator, after having worked in various roles including software engineering. He was appointed Human Resources Manager in August 2006 and Company Secretary in January 2014. His current role also encompasses payroll and pensions, data protection compliance and acting as secretary to the Trustees. Outside Shekinah, Peter is a member of a local church, Underwood Chapel in Plympton.
Steve Withers Finance Manager Expand Steve joined Shekinah as Finance Manager in 2005 having had nearly 30 years accounting experience including at a small firm of Chartered Accountants and some multi-national companies in the retail and the service sector. Steve is a family man married with 3 children & 5 grandchildren. He is a Christian, enjoys sport, riding his motorbike, travelling and loves Marmite!
Soo Brizell Head of Strategic Partnerships & Contracts Expand Soo Brizell has worked for Shekinah since July 2007 where her career has developed from delivering the Ready for Work programme in partnership for Business in the Community to developing Shekinah’s award winning Employability programme. In 2015 Soo was appointed Head of Strategic Partnerships and Contracts and works alongside statutory agencies, the public and private sector and local charities and community groups. Born in Liverpool, Soo left home at 18 yrs old and commenced her passion for travelling. Starting with working on a Kibbutz in Israel, travelling and working across Europe and having spent a fabulous time at University of Northumbria, Soo then decided to live in Colombia for a few years. This is where Soo’s passion for working with people affected by poverty began. Soo has a passion for creating opportunities for people to engage with each other and values the importance of treating everyone with dignity and respect. These values have helped Soo maintain her passion for working at Shekinah, working with a team of amazing people and always trying her best to help make a difference!
Dr Davina Cull Criminal Justice Practitioner and Restorative Justice Manager Expand Dr Davina Cull is an experienced criminal justice practitioner and restorative justice manager. Davina started her criminal justice career in the Police Service. She left the Service to establish Make Amends, the Police and Crime Commissioner's restorative justice service for Devon and Cornwall. With a research background in victimology and offender management, Davina is also an associate lecturer at the University of Plymouth. Davina brings creativity, energy and enthusiasm for evidence based practice, continually striving for service improvements to benefit the people we work with. With an ambition to travel to 100 countries in her lifetime, Davina's current country count sits at 61.
John Hamblin Chief Executive Expand I have the privileged position of CEO which I have held since 2008. Prior to this I was Head of Training at Shekinah who I joined in 2002 following 12 years of working in the field of Learning Disabilities and Mental Health. Throughout my working life I have always held the belief that service delivery revolves around positive and meaningful relationships. Without this as a foundation, work becomes pretty meaningless. When not working, I spend my time outdoors as much as possible fishing, sailing or metal detecting.
Jo Bailey Project Coach Expand I'm Jo Bailey, I work at Shekinah Grow in Torbay, along with Terry, and Lily the dog. I thoroughly enjoy working with the land, and have a keen interest in conservation and land management. Having lived in many of the cities across the UK, I now love spending time on the beaches and moors of the South West, and beyond. In my spare time I volunteer for conservation projects from turtle conservation in Mexico to Greater Horseshoe Bat surveys closer to home.
Danny Crowley Project Manager Leonard Stocks Centre Expand Danny Crowley started with Shekinah in 2007, working as a Support Worker at the Gates Project in Plymouth, and went on to manage the George House Hostel in Plymouth before re-joining Shekinah in 2015 to manage the Leonard Stocks Centre in Factory Row, Torbay. Danny has a passion for change, and has worked with the team in Torbay to help amalgamate services to work together for the benefit of the rough sleeper services across Torbay. The Torbay Hostel has gone from 24 bedrooms to 36, including the introduction of a Housing First-style safe space and outreach teams. Danny has a lived experience of being street homeless, and has brought this to his role. He believes in building lasting relationships with people who access the services, to try to end the cycle of homelessness and deliver a truly person-centred approach.