Services and support
Alex works with organisations on a very wide range of projects. Below are some of the most frequent area of work, with real examples from charities and funders. You can also see a wide range of recommendations here.
Strategy
Strategic planning and business planning
Options appraisal and feasibility
Income development and sustainability
Partnerships and collaborations
New programmes
Major change and transformation
Organisational development and change
Learning and impact
Evaluation design and delivery
Theory of change and outcomes
Learning and reflection
Evidence, insight and storytelling
Participatory and inclusive approaches
Supporting evaluation and learning cultures
Governance and leadership
Leadership and trustee support
Mergers, partnerships and change
Strategic and planning sessions
Workshops and away days
Board and leadership facilitation
Partnership and stakeholder events
Community and participatory facilitation
Complex conversations and problem-solving
Case studies
Strategy and organisational change: infrastructure body
Helping an infrastructure organisation rethink its role, services and future direction.
This organisation supports voluntary and community organisations across a highly diverse area. Like many infrastructure organisations, it has faced increasing financial pressures alongside changing demands from the organisations it supports. Alex worked with the leadership team to review the organisation's activities, services and financial position, and develop a clearer strategic direction and business plan.
The work included reviewing existing programmes, identifying opportunities for income development, consulting staff and stakeholders, and examining how the organisation could focus its resources where they would make the greatest difference.
A central element was developing a new strategic framework, better management information, and a new shape for services and staffing. The work has helped establish a clearer set of organisational priorities and a basis for decisions about future services, investment and financial sustainability.
Governance review and development: community charity
Helping a community charity strengthen its governance, clarify responsibilities and improve board effectiveness.
This organisation supports people and communities through enterprise and economic development. As the organisation developed, it needed to review its governance arrangements and ensure its Board had the right structures, skills and processes to support its future.
Alex undertook a governance review, examining the charity's governing documents, trustee roles and responsibilities, board composition and decision-making arrangements.
The work included a trustee skills audit, workshops exploring organisational purpose and values, and recommendations to strengthen board effectiveness and accountability.
Alex also developed practical resources, including a trustee handbook and role descriptions, and reviewed the organisation's governing documents.
The project provided a clearer framework for governance, identifying opportunities to strengthen trustee recruitment, improve board structures and establish more effective oversight of the charity's work.
Learning and reflection: major grantmaker
Reviewing major grant programmes and using organisational learning to shape future funding priorities.
Alex worked with a major UK grantmaker to review two of its principal grant programmes, examining their achievements, effectiveness and the lessons that could be drawn from several years of funding.
Working closely with the learning and evaluation team, senior leadership and grantmaking staff, Alex designed and facilitated a series of workshops to explore programme performance, identify emerging themes and reflect on what had worked well and what could be improved.
The work brought together evidence from grantmaking practice, staff experience and programme evaluation, encouraging collective reflection and constructive challenge.
The findings helped shape the development of new grantmaking programmes, ensuring that organisational learning and practical experience contributed to future funding priorities and strategic decisions.
Research and evaluation: law centre
Evaluating the impact of legal advocacy in helping communities influence planning decisions and challenge inequality.
Alex undertook an independent evaluation of Southwark Law Centre's Planning Voice project, which provides legal advice and representation to communities affected by major developments, particularly those facing displacement, inequality and exclusion from planning decisions.
Building on an earlier evaluation, Alex carried out in-depth interviews with residents, campaigners, legal professionals, local authority staff and community organisations, alongside case studies, policy research and documentary analysis.
The evaluation examined the project's effectiveness in supporting marginalised communities, securing changes to development proposals, holding public authorities accountable and influencing planning policy.
The research identified significant achievements, including securing additional affordable housing, protecting local businesses and obtaining stronger commitments from developers to community consultation and investment.
The final report combined evidence of the project's impact with analysis of the wider political and policy context, providing recommendations for its future development and opportunities to extend similar approaches through other law centres.
Income development: Science charity
Developing new charitable programmes and identifying funding opportunities for public engagement in medical research.
Alex worked with a medical research organisation, to explore the development of new charitable programmes focused on improving public understanding of clinical processes, building trust in medical science and increasing participation among underrepresented communities.
The work involved developing a theory of change, identifying potential programmes and activities, and establishing a clearer case for charitable funding based on social need and the outcomes the organisation wanted to achieve.
Alex also explored potential funding sources and partnerships, identified prospective grantmakers and developed recommendations for building a funding pipeline over the short and medium term.
The project provided a foundation for developing new charitable activities, strengthening the organisation's case for support and approaching funders with clearer proposals for the social value of its work.
Leadership development: Vivensa Leadership Academy
Supporting charity leaders to develop their skills, confidence and effectiveness through a two-year leadership development programme.
Alex worked as Faculty Lead for two years of the Vivensa Leadership Academy, a leadership development programme working alongside Moore Kingston Smith and University of Birmingham, bringing together senior leaders from charities working with older people.
As Faculty Lead, Alex helped design and deliver the programme, combining leadership seminars, facilitated discussions, action learning and individual mentoring to support participants in addressing the challenges of leading charitable organisations.
The programme explored strategic leadership, organisational culture, governance, managing change and the relationships between leaders, trustees and staff. It created opportunities for participants to reflect on their own leadership practice, share experiences and learn from one another.
Alongside programme delivery, Alex contributed to its ongoing evaluation and development, using participant feedback and learning to refine the approach.
The Academy supported leaders to develop greater confidence, strengthen their leadership practice and build lasting professional relationships with peers facing similar organisational challenges.
