Helen Litherland- Chair
Hele
n has worked with people Express delivering arts projects over the years and seen the impact that the arts has on vulnerable people. She says,”They enjoy taking part and it opens up new skills and talents that they didn’t know that they had”. She is Operational Lead for Trident Reach the People Charity, managing support services for young people and older people. Helens experience includes business and strategic planning, management of staff teams, human resources and budgeting.
Katy Lawrence
Katy is very excited to be involved in People Express as part of the board as she feels it is great that the district has an arts organisation that appeals to everyone in the community. Katy has worked for four years at Granville Sports College as an Assistant House Leader, supporting the well-being and emotional needs of young people. Katy brings to the Board a passion for the arts, experience of working with young people and an understanding of the needs of excluded groups.
Chris Baldwin
Chris is new to being involved with an organisation at Board level, but is very excited to be a part of the People Express family. He hopes to interject his ideas and passions for holistic education and music into the development of activities and programmes that can help to raise the aspirations and dreams for as many people as possible in the locality. All in order to help provide opportunities for people to be the best that they can possibly be through the arts.
Kim Coe
Kim was originally appointed to our board as a representative from SDDC which is one of our three main funders. She has remained on our board in a voluntary capacity. She brings a wealth of local knowledge to the board having been involved in a number of community projects, which include work by the Rotary Club of Swadlincote and she is also a trustee for ‘Shoutout’ board. She has a great interest in the community and has recently been involved in starting a Community Responder Group working in partnership with EMAS (East Midlands Ambulance Service). She manages an independent medical company.
Jacqui Storer
Jacqui is very involved in local communities in South Derbyshire and sees the arts as a way to bring people together to have fun and to experience things that they wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to experience. She is a qualified company secretary working with local and national charities, passionate about accounts and enjoys the diversity of People Express’ projects.
Mamuna Altaf
Mamuna has very good experience and knowledge of working with diverse community groups and voluntary organisation . She worked as a development worker, delivering various projects relating to the European Social Fund , providing funding to projects that encouraged regeneration with Birmingham neighbourhoods. Then later worked as an adult education tutor in Derbyshire and as a senior Community Connector in South Derbyshire. Mamuna believes in the importance of arts and in communities having access to art , to increase well being and bring communities together to share there stories. She has always worked with people with learning disabilities , women and children’s groups, young adults and refugee and asylum seekers. She believes that People Express meets many of the values that she believes are important in empowering people to overcome challenges and make changes.
Cllr Jim Hewlett
Born in 1948, Jim is a Sociology graduate of Reading University with two grown-up sons. He spent most of his working life in the Timber Trade and after taking early retirement was elected as a District Councillor in May 2007. Jim is also a Trustee of the South Derbyshire Citizens Advice Bureau and Bank House in Swadlincote, a drop-in centre for people with mental health problems.
Cllr Jane Perry
