Our Team
We are an expert team of communicators, network-builders, researchers, designers and venture builders with experience in a range of social issues.
Our team is based mainly, but not exclusively, in London, Reading and Bristol. We also work with a group of specialist associates from around the world who bring value and expertise across our projects.
David Barclay
Partner
David leads on projects ranging from increasing the provision of affordable credit to supporting cities become more inclusive of migrants and refugees. He is a former President of the Oxford University Student Union and was previously a community organiser in East London.
Revd Dr Russell Rook OBE
Partner
Russell is a founding partner of the Good Faith Partnership. Having previously served The Salvation Army, Labour Party and numerous social enterprises and charities, Russell now works with politicians, governments, faith communities, NGOs and civil society groups on a range of issues including, migration, social justice and religious freedom.
Ange Henry
EA to Revd Dr Russell Rook
Ange has worked for GFP since 2017 and brings with her years of EA knowledge and experience to assist Revd Dr Russell Rook. Ange also works very closely with Linda Mitchell and the rest of the core operational team and in particular assists with the running of the Good Faith Foundation, the sister company of GFP.
Dr Austin Tiffany
Senior Director
Austin works on a number of our international projects in the Middle East, focusing on the rights of religious minorities, interfaith cooperation, and freedom of religion or belief. Austin has professional experience in the charity and university sectors, most recently co-authoring a report on the COVID response of London faith communities while working at LSE. He holds a degree in Theology from Baylor University and a Masters and PhD in Sociology of Religion from the University of Cambridge.
Geraldine Chacón V.
Senior Consultant
Geraldine supports a range of projects and services, including philanthropy consulting and strategic review. With a background in Law and Human Rights, she has worked as a researcher across sectors, including central banking and international organisations such as the World Organization Against Torture. Having worked with educational programmes in Latin America, she brings an interdisciplinary background in social impact and strategic thinking..
Mariyum Hussain
Assistant People and Operations Manager
Mariyum works as the Assistant People and Operations Manager and the Data Protection Lead for GFP, supporting our people as well as the delivery of some of our projects. With a background in Psychology and Law, Mariyum has worked in Education, Mental Health, the NHS as well as various charities, promoting social cohesion, inclusivity and social integration. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in her role and is determined in making a positive difference in society.
Claire Fenner Crawley
Lead Consultant
Claire has a wide range of experience in the charity and social investment sector, and has worked in the community leading a food bank and a small church. She has undertaken research into social issues ranging from homelessness and food redistribution to NGO-supporter relations. She is doing a part-time PhD in Systematic Theology focusing on questions of transformation and is interested in projects involving the links between personal, spiritual and societal transformation.
Linda Mitchell
Operations Director
Linda has many years’ experience in business, education, the charity and faith sectors, as well as several years working for a ground-breaking entrepreneur/philanthropist. Her expertise is in operations, marketing, communications and leadership. She oversees the smooth running of the Good Faith Partnership, including finance, HR, and operationalising new projects.
Esther Platt
Senior Consultant
Esther has a broad experience of working with charities and churches to enable them to maximise their social impact. She has worked as Head of Strategy in the senior leadership team of a social justice charity and as a strategy consultant and as such brings with her experience of strategic planning through collaborating with others, organisational development and project management. Esther is passionate about seeing sustainable social change and loves to see individuals and organisations thrive and work together to that end. She enjoys meeting new people, dreaming about positive changes in society and developing processes that enable people to work well together.
Jack Palmer-White
Senior Director
Jack helps to lead the work of the ChurchWorks Commission and has over a decade of experience of working with charities, faith-based organisations and social movements to help bring about change at the local, national and global level. Most recently, Jack was the Anglican Communion’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and previously was a senior advisor to the Archbishop of Canterbury on social and public affairs. He has an MSc in Religion in the Contemporary World from the London School of Economics. He is married and has two young sons, and in his ‘spare’ time coaches grassroots youth football.
Joseph Davies
Lead Consultant
Joseph is an experienced project manager and impact advisor. He has extensive links with faith and voluntary sector organisations in Bristol having formerly worked in the homelessness sector, in church leadership and organised cross-church initiatives. Alongside his work at GFP, Joseph hosts a refugee Welcome Hub which means he brings invaluable experience on how to provide welcome to resettled communities.
Lorien Frank
Senior Consultant
Lorien has masters in Social and Community Development and has worked as a project manager and consultant on youth, community and international development programmes in multiple contexts. She is currently working as operational lead on the Warm Welcome campaign.
Myra Johnson
Director of Communications
Myra is Director of Communications for Good Faith Partnership and leads communications and brand strategy for the Warm Welcome Campaign and wider organisation. She brings 30 years’ communications experience, with the last 20 years at a senior level. Myra is passionate about improving people’s lives for the better. Myra specialises in brand, communications, and marketing strategy in the not-for-profit and social investment sector. She has built her reputation on reframing challenging and taboo issues and tackling injustice in our society, working with charities in the disability, homelessness, domestic abuse, baby loss, death, dying and bereavement, public health, and children’s palliative care sectors.
Eleanor Palmer
Development Director
Ellie is Development Director for the Good Faith Partnership and leads on Fundraising and Income Generation for the Warm Welcome Campaign and wider organisation. Ellie has worked in fundraising for 25 years and has worked across a wide range of causes primarily for social welfare and international development charities, supporting the significant growth of income and reputation. She has worked to raise funds for organisations ranging in size - local, national and international and specialises in strategic growth and relationship fundraising with HNW/ Major Donors, Corporates and Trusts and Foundations.
Rianna Ward
Warm Welcome Coordinator
Ria has recently graduated with a Business and Sociology degree, having focussed her studies on the impact of social barriers, power dynamics and social inequalities within society. Her interest in this area stemmed from coordinating and participating in social justice volunteering projects, working with diverse groups of children and young people, and supporting charities in Reading. Ria brings this experience into her role as the Business Support Officer (Projects), supporting ChurchWorks and the Warm Welcome projects with their impactful work to tackle injustices in society.
Louise Garratty
Finance Officer
Louise has worked at Good Faith Partnership (GFP) since November 2023 as its newly appointed finance officer. She has more than 12 years’ experience working for one of the top six accountancy firms in the world and brings a vast amount of knowledge and expertise to the role. As well as being responsible for GFP’s bookkeeping, Louise also does the book-keeping for GFP’s sister company, the charity Good Faith Foundation. Louise is part of the operations team, which plays a key role in the everyday running of the company and the wider team.
Mohammed Ibraheem Ahmed
Lead Consultant
As Lead Consultant, Mohammed engages with our international interfaith partners, including supporting Al Qurm's work with the Abrahamic Family House and the Forum for Peace. He is completing his PhD in Muslim-Jewish Relations at Cambridge, and has several publications in the field. Outside academia, Mohammed has experience as an interfaith practitioner through his activities at the Woolf Institute. Mohammed is also Associate Fellow at the DCDC (UK Ministry of Defence), CEO of MAUR, a charity that educates youth about Islam and British Values, and Director of Upton Training, an educational and training centre.
David Linden
Senior Director of Public Affairs
Before joining GFP, David served as a Member of the UK Parliament for seven years. During his time as a parliamentarian, he shadowed the UK Government’s largest spending department; served as an influential member of the Work & Pensions select committee; regularly appeared on national broadcast media as one of his party’s most consistent communicators and led the work of several All Party Parliamentary Groups. Prior to his election as an MP, David had already amassed almost a decade of experience working with media and on research within the Scottish, Westminster and European Parliaments.
Sienna Sexton
Senior Consultant
Sienna studied Politics, International Relations and Anthropology at the University of Cambridge. Since graduating she has gone on to work in the charity sector, in public affairs and in Parliament. She has particular experience working in the intersection between politics, civil society and faith. She brings project management experience from Faith in Labour and supporting the Labour Party as it engages with faith groups and civil society.
Aaron James
Lead Consultant
Aaron started as a breakfast newsreader and presenter for Premier Christian Radio and freelance newsreader and continuity announcer for the BBC in Wales and the West of England. He became a political advisor and speechwriter for South Gloucestershire Labour Group and was also project manager for the Bristol Emergency Winter Fuel Fund, raising £32,000 to help people struggling with their energy bills. He's now leading on support for local Welcoming Spaces and working with Bristol City Council to integrate their Family Hubs with faith-based children's provision.
Lucy Rouse
Communications Manager
Lucy is Communications Manager for Good Faith Partnership and Warm Welcome UK. With a background in journalism, Lucy has 32 years of experience in the communications industries. Lucy is passionate about working for organisations that make a positive difference to people’s lives. She has worked in comms for arts organisations, inspiring people through the performing arts, and for charities including the landmine clearance charity The Halo Trust, as well as the news organisations ITN and Channel 4 News.
Alisha Cole
Fellow
Alisha recently graduated from studying Geography at the University of Cambridge. She brings a desire for social action projects to engage with the specifics of the hyper-local community and context they are working in and amongst. Based in Bristol, her work aims to support churches in their mission to contribute to forming a thriving city in an ever-increasing number of ways.
Molly Conrad
Senior Consultant - Public Affairs
After studying Theology at the University of Exeter, Molly began working for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales in their Partnerships & Public Affairs Department. As well as conducting parliamentary work in Westminster, she also held the specific brief of enhancing the Catholic Church's relationships with Welsh stakeholders in the Senedd and across interfaith spaces. It was during her time coordinating annual trips to Rome and to the Holy Land for the bishops' internship scheme that her interest in the intersection between faith, culture and politics piqued. Molly is passionate about building meaningful and sustainable partnerships between parliamentarians, charitable foundations and faith communities with the aim of increasing religious literacy and enabling grassroots experts and people of faith to have a voice in top-level decision-making processes.
Karla Williams
Operations Administrator
Karla comes from a background of administration in the arts, HR, and charity sector, having worked for the National Theatre, Alpha International, and Debenhams Recruitment team. Alongside working for GFP she is the founder of female focused production company MsMono and a screenwriter writing across TV, audio, and film.
Nathan Wilkinson
Fundraising Manager
Nathan is Fundraising Manager for the Good Faith Partnership currently focussing on the Warm Welcome Campaign. He has worked with local and national charities over the last decade in developing various fundraising streams for the sustainable development of different organisations. Nathan is passionate that his fundraising efforts will enable organisations to create a lasting impact on society.
Ellie Ayrton
Project Administration Assistant
Ellie holds a BA Honours in Religion and Theology from the University of Bristol, with a strong passion for understanding the intersection of religion, society, and social impact. With experience working for a church and charity, as well as supporting the Homes for Ukraine scheme, she understands the importance of building strong relationships and fostering collaboration to create meaningful change.
Our Associates
We work with a group of specialist associates from around the world who bring value and expertise across our projects in their own specific areas.
Steve Coles
Steve’s expertise is in creating, measuring and increasing social impact in social enterprises and charities, particularly in the areas of homelessness, health and addiction. Prior to joining GFP, Steve was CEO of Spitalfields Crypt Trust, where he launched a Housing First project in partnership with the NHS. He has an MBA from Imperial College, is a Non-Executive Director of Compass Wellbeing CIC and has held various trustee roles.
Andrew Dixon
Andrew is a policy and advocacy specialist. He works with charities and not-for-profits to help them build their influence through developing their ideas and narratives, their relationships and networks, and their communications. He has previously led the policy and public affairs work of a high-profile trade association and a leading social integration charity. He is particularly interested in projects with a focus on community, relationships and civic voice.
Elizabeth Harris-Sawczenko
Elizabeth served as Director at the Council of Christians and Jews and has led a number of other charities and NGOs. Elizabeth has extensive knowledge and experience of working with UK parliamentarians, civil servants, EU and UN bodies, diplomats and faith communities. Elizabeth also worked for many years in the Middle East. She is a recent recipient of the Archbishop of Canterbury's Humbert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith and her contribution to faith communities has also been acknowledged by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Stefania Knecht, PhD
Stefania’s expertise is religious peacebuilding, and she has experience in refugee relief and emergency response. Her research has previously centred on Polish-Ukrainian relations, and she has since been involved in the coordination of Welcome Hubs for Ukrainian refugees in Bristol. She is a mother and wife, loves reading and, having lived in seven countries so far, has a particular interest in cross-cultural dynamics.
Dominic Llewellyn
Dominic works with non-profits to help them maximise impact and diversity revenue by building the best partnerships across sectors. Over the past 15 years, he has built revenue-generating, impact-focused and innovative partnerships worth over £700m that enable city-wide and nationwide transformation in the UK and internationally. He is a husband and father, and his hobbies include reading autobiographies, spending time with friends and watching most sports, especially football
Julian Prior
Julian is an experienced consultant providing leadership and organisational development support for charities drawing on over 25 years of experience as a charity founder / CEO, Chair of trustees and adviser. He started a charity (Action Foundation) providing supported housing and English classes for asylum seekers and refugees in Tyneside, was the founding Chair of Trustees of a national network (NACCOM), an Immigration Advisor to an MP and Chair of a working group on asylum policy for the Centre for Social Justice. Julian provides insight, advice and support for charity leaders (across all sectors) helping them navigate the challenges of taking their organisation to the next level.
Nicole Pearson
Nicole is a consultant, bringing a wide range of experience working in the social justice and charitable sphere. As a law graduate and bar course scholar, she has worked as a researcher, legal adviser and advocate as well as a volunteer human rights teacher in schools across London. Nicole also has a particular interest in issues relating to diversity and discrimination, and founded a charitable project aimed at raising awareness about hate crime during her studies.
Jehangir Malik
Jehangir is currently a Policy and Engagement Director at Mercy Mission UK, a UK community development organisation focusing on strengthening British Muslim civil society infrastructure.
Jehangir has been the CEO of various organisations including Muslim Aid and Director for Islamic Relief UK, focusing on faith-based humanitarian action and development. Jehangir was awarded an OBE in recognition of his 20 years of contribution to humanitarian causes and has served as a trustee on various boards including National Emergency Trust and Chair of Equality Steering Group. Jehangir has also served as a Commissioner on Birmingham Children’s Commission on tackling poverty in Birmingham.
Samuel Coates
Samuel is an experienced policy-maker and political strategist, having worked as a special adviser in several government departments and as a consultant to leaders in multiple countries. He is currently focused on trends in technology as the Director of the AI Faith & Civic Society Commission, and as a senior executive of a fast-growing Fintech start-up.
Andy Street
Andy was the Founding Director of the global environmental consultancy SLR. He has a passion for city and community transformation through collaboration and innovation, and is Chair for a number of charities and strategic initiatives in Bristol. Andy is helping to lead Good Faith's work supporting cross-sector collaboration in Bristol and the West of England as an Associate Director.
Claire Mathys
Claire has over a decade of experience advising Ministers, MPs, Peers and not-for-profit organisations on policy and strategy at a very senior level. She was previously the principal adviser for the Liberal Democrats on housing and environment and is a former Director of Christians in Politics. She brings a rare combination of having worked both inside government as a civil servant and for an opposition party, and has seen how organisations can be most effective in making an impact.
Emma Martin
With a background in Law and Social Work, Emma has worked for private, public and voluntary sectors with roles including Children’s Social Worker with vulnerable families, Centre Manager for a National Youth Employment Charity and Ministry Leader for a large Anglican Church. She is also an experienced Coach and has worked with both private and not-for-profit clients to bring about cultural change in organisations and personal transformation in individuals.
Dilwar Hussain MBE
Dilwar is an Assistant Professor at Coventry University, a consultant to the Good Faith Partnership and is founding Chair of New Horizons in British Islam, an organisation that promotes critical discussions around modern Muslim identities.
Over the last 25 years he has advised government departments, worked at community level and provided policy analysis and training around inter-faith and inter-community relations, equality, diversity as well as counter-extremism policy. Dilwar was awarded an MBE for services to inter-faith understanding and community relations.