Trainers

Mary Boucher

Development Worker

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I have worked in the voluntary and community sector for more than 25 years, in a wide range of roles from advice work; managing hostels for young homeless people; managing volunteers; generic and specialist mental health advocacy; and as a member and Chair of several management committees. The breadth of the work I have been involved with reflects my passion for the rights of all people to have their voice heard, respected and, where appropriate, acted on. And the work I do with GAVCA enables me to support organisations to have the necessary tools and resources to run effectively and for their benefit of their respective constituency of interest.

I have worked and lived in many parts of England, and have lived in Gloucestershire for the past 6 years, and I feel very lucky to live in a county with some of the best gardening conditions of anywhere. Not that I am a great gardener, I dabble, but I do love to visit other people’s and eye up the size of their cabbages.

Caroline Cook

Caroline Cook has worked in the voluntary sector for many years in various roles. As the senior staff member in two organisations and now as an independent consultant she works with issues of change on a frequent basis – personal change and organisational change. Caroline also works as part of Phoenix Associates.

Angela Gilbert

Angela Gilbert has worked in the voluntary and community sector (VCS) for 19 years in a variety of roles including developing activity programmes for children and young people, managing community organisations, developing policy frameworks and supporting groups with organisational development.

Her current role is Services Manager at GAVCA in Cheltenham, offering support for local groups and enabling District representation of the VCS.

Gabi Gogan

Volunteer Services Manager

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My love for volunteering started while I was at University in Romania, and I never looked back. Since I graduated in 2000 I have worked in the Voluntary and Community Sector for a number of volunteer-involving organisations as Volunteer Manager. I recruited, managed and supported fantastic teams of volunteers engaged in community work, environmental projects and more recently in a social enterprise. I quickly realised that complex skills were needed when managing volunteers, and I found that both challenging and rewarding. I went on and did a Train the Trainer/PTTLS course so that I could share my knowledge and skills with other volunteer managers through designing and delivering training on Volunteer Management.

I am very fortunate to manage a high calibre team of volunteers and colleagues at GAVCA. Together we help people in Gloucestershire to find suitable and rewarding volunteering roles. We also help organisations to recruit volunteers and we support volunteer managers to maintain good practice in their work with volunteers.

I believe that each of us is unique and that truly is beautiful. I enjoy getting inspired by the myriad of volunteers and wonderful people around us. Outside work I am a volunteer Master Composter, helping my fellow gardeners to get more out of their garden. I am always on the lookout for new ways to be more sustainable and kind to our planet and people.

Elaine Hodgin

Elaine Hodgin is an experienced business developer and marketer who has experience of operating in the private, public and third sectors. Having worked at Director level at one of the UK’s top 200 law firms she understands firsthand what corporates are looking for when developing relationships with local charities. Practical and straightforward, Elaine’s training sessions are designed to provide delegates with a toolkit of ideas and the motivation to put what they have learnt into practice.

"The trainer was excellent, enthusiastic, stimulating and encouraging" (Participant who attended 'Promoting your services to individuals').

Dave Jones

Dave Jones is currently Deputy Chief Executive Officer at County Community Projects (CCP). Dave is responsible for education, housing, working age adult’s tenancy support, adult IAG, adult education, parenting, adult advocacy and adult Drop In services. He is also the Designated Safeguarding Manager, auditing and implementing adult and children’s safeguarding systems and delivering safeguarding training both internally and externally of CCP. CCP have been praised by the Local Authority and OFSTED on its robust safeguarding arrangements.

"The trainer knew his subject inside out" (Participant who attended 'Safeguarding Children and Young People').

Honey Lucas

Information Officer

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I'm responsible for our website, our publications and our other communications. I also look after the GAVCA database of voluntary and community organisations, and handle GAVCA membership.

After a decade working and studying in the Higher Education sector, I made the move over to the voluntary sector three years ago. I've got a keen interest in social media, and how the sector can harness it, and I maintain a blog of social media news at www.theverytiger.com

Outside of work, I'd say I was a baker, a blogger and a photography-fan.

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Suzanne Pearson

Suzanne Pearson has extensive experience of working in health and housing related services, supporting clients with a range of support needs. She has practical experience of key working and using support planning in the statutory and voluntary sectors.

Suzanne is a qualified adult trainer delivering mental health and social care training for voluntary sector providers, health and social services and at a local FE college.

Young Gloucestershire