* Responsible for the management of staff and budgets
Since my appointment as Chief Executive in 1990 the organisation has transformed from being 98% grant aided to a wholly independent organisation with an annual turnover of £750,000. This has been achieved by a mixture of service delivery contracts, training for others and a very successful trading subsidiary.
Developing a team approach to the acceptance of and the management of change allowed Age Concern to respond positively when difficulties arose. At a national level I was a member of the National Council of Ageing and past Chair of the Service Standards Committee of the Trading Alliance, which has put Age Concern to the forefront of Voluntary Organisations realising the need for sustainability free from the constraints grants often bring.

* Working mainly with the Voluntary Sector as a trainer and grants advisor.

* Responsible for developing and working with local groups.

As National Development Officer my prime responsibility was to identify,train and support locally based groups and individuals as well as developing national networks which allowed the maximum amount of independence. This post also held the responsibility of Deputy Director and as such I often represented the organisation at National and International fora. I carried over the experiences learned in the A.D.S. to a private consultancy working in the main with voluntary organisations specialising in personal and organisational development.
This two year period gave me an insight into the similarity between SMEs in the commercial sector and voluntary and community organisations.