The Smallwood Trust is a vital resource for women on low incomes in the UK. The Trust’s grants help women to overcome economic hardship and achieve financial security.
Our staff team are working hard to ensure that our organisation meets its goals and they are dedicated ambassadors of our grant making programmes and partnerships.
As an organisation we are committed to creating a workplace where our team feel valued and respected. We appreciate the lived experience of our staff as a powerful source of unique insights, which contribute to our grant making strategy.
Kaeren Mellin
Finance ManagerKaeren Mellin joined the Trust in April 2022, and has a wealth of Charity Accounting experience spanning over 25 years. She has a passion for de-mystifying finance and getting the sums right. In her spare time she can be found outdoors either in the garden or exploring nature and spending time with her family.
Emma Pritchard
Admin/Operations OfficerEmma has been with Smallwood since 2019 and plays an integral part towards the smooth running of the Trust and provides support for all aspects of the charity including grants and operations. Outside of work Emma enjoys walking her dog, music festivals, concerts and spending time with her family.
Kathy Siddle
Programme ManagerKathy has been with Smallwood since 2020. She manages the Women’s Financial Empowerment Fund and two of our Place-Based Networks in Birmingham and Coventry. Kathy also manages Smallwood’s presence on 360Giving, our commitment to the IVAR principles and analyses the impact of our grants.
Julia Hawker
Grants ManagerJulia joined Smallwood in November 2018 and has supported with the vision and growth of the Trust. Julia has a varied role supporting all aspects of our grant making as well as managing Community Grant Partners and Project Partners. In her spare time Julia can be found enjoying country walks with her dogs.
Jo Lloyd
Operations/Programme ManagerJo joined the Trust in 2018. In her multifaceted role, she oversees Operations and manages the Community Grant Partner’s programme and serves as the Trust’s designated safeguarding lead, demonstrating her commitment to protecting vulnerable women and maintaining the highest standards of ethical practice.
Emma Crump
Head of ProgrammesEmma joined the Trust in 2018 and leads on grant-making and programmes. Emma’s diverse role includes supporting the CEO with Smallwood’s strategy, developing relationships with external stakeholders and leading our shifting power initiative. Emma loves the outdoors and recently took a road-trip to California.
Rosie Learmonth
Programme ManagerRosie joined Smallwood in 2020. She currently manages the Women’s Urgent Support Fund, which is designed to safeguard frontline women’s organisations, and drives forward Smallwood’s online presence, reporting on current trends within the funding sector and highlighting the voices of our grant partners.
Bushra Ahmed
Grants ManagerBushra joined the Trust in 2020 and is the Grants Manager for the Women’s Urgent Support Fund. Bushra also supports other Smallwood funded projects which work to ensure women’s voices are heard. In her spare time Bushra enjoys listening to music and spending time with her family.
Paul Carbury
Chief Executive OfficerPaul joined the Trust as CEO in January 2017 and has been working closely with the Board to transform and develop the Trust’s grant-making activities and impact. Paul has 23 years senior leadership experience in the voluntary and community sector.
Tessa Dugmore
Programme ManagerTessa joined Smallwood in 2023 to facilitate the delivery of the £1m Local Resilience Fund which is funded by Smallwood and the City Bridge Foundation. In her spare time, Tessa enjoys travelling, going to gigs and reading whenever possible.
Rutendo Ngwena
Programme ManagerRutendo joined Smallwood in June 2023 to help deliver the Gendered Poverty Learning Programme. As part of her role, Rutendo is also coordinating learning across different programmes and place-based initiatives. In her spare time, Rutendo enjoys storytelling, curating art exhibitions and hiking.