Bernadette Chelvanayagam

Since finishing school I have been working with communities on a paid and voluntary basis in London, the Southeast and the Southwest of England. I have worked with young people and adults in a variety of different settings including providing research and supporting development and relief projects in Southeast Asia and South America, providing information and support for Leukaemia bone marrow donors across the UK, working with young people and adults who were at risk of homelessness, providing information and guidance to young people, and community development and case work with minority groups.

The experience I have gained from my work, and as a teacher and practitioner of re-evaluation counselling provides me with the skills and energy I need to work with enthusiasm and fresh thinking.

My strengths are in facilitating, listening and engaging individuals to become informed and empowered to function well in work and life.

I have been a committed social activist since I was 16 and hope to be doing this work alongside a steadily growing, and diverse group of people for a long time to come.

 “If you want to build a ship, don’t herd people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work; but, rather, teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Jacky Clift

Most of my working life has been spent teaching English, Communication, Media and Film Studies to young adults in FE Colleges. I have loved having the opportunity to work with people to achieve their potential and beyond, and hope to continue that in my work with Zebra.

In between the official work I have been part of a co-operative houseboat community, trade union branch chair, founder of a pressure group and chair of a statutory watchdog authority, the Community Health Council. I believe that good things happen when people get involved in the way their lives are organised and controlled, and have always acted on that belief.

My work with Zebra allows me to use my teaching expertise in a role which emphasises people getting involved.

Michelle Virgo

At University I studied Environmental Science and particularly the physics and politics of global warming. I thought a lot about the social, economic and political changes that are necessary in order to address an issue of this magnitude. My focus shifted away from the science (which I still find fascinating) to the complexities of working towards positive social change and in particular towards building the capacity of individuals and communities to make aware, informed and compassionate choices.

I threw myself into campaigning and social care roles where I began to gain experience of group facilitation, assessing learning needs and creating and providing learning opportunities. I developed an understanding of how people learn and the conditions that create change.

Over the last twenty years I have combined paid work, first as education project co-ordinator for a mental health service, as centre co-ordinator for a women’s health information service and now for Zebra with voluntary and community activity, land based work, and the care and education of my children.

I’ve been Zebra’s lead on participation and engagement since 2004. I led on our two-and-a-half year Empowerment Good Practice Programme, working with local authorities across the South West to improve community engagement practice. I’ve brought a solution-focused perspective to participation and engagement, developing solution focused engagement tools (PA4Change) and a solution-focused facilitation course. Facilitation work is my love, and I’ve worked with numerous organisations to initiate or deal with change.

I’m also a long-time supporter of the co-operative movement with a commitment to co-operative principles and a good understanding of the skills and tools needed to put these into practice. In 2010/11 I completed a Level 5 qualification in social enterprise leadership and I’m Chair of the Social Enterprise Network in Plymouth.

Marc Gardiner

I have worked all my life in my home town, Plymouth, in multifarious community work and social care settings: with people with learning disabilities, people using mental health services, young people in care, in youth clubs, with people with alcohol or drug issues, and with inner-city communities facing big challenges.  I have recently taken up a new temporary role, working in Nepal for 3 months supervising the youth exchange programme  under Zebra’s contract with Global Xchange, before returning to Plymouth in January to oversee the 2nd phase of this programme.

Through all this I have developed a good overview of the scene and a very useful network. In the years up to 2002, observing what worked well and not so well, I began to imagine co-creating an organisation driven by strong values of social justice and a commitment to working to a high standard.  The dream came true with Zebra: I was a co-founder and, eight years on, working in and growing this workers’ co-operative continues a fulfilling challenge, a job I feel like doing however tough. My work experiences – as a hands-on practitioner, a counsellor, a manager, and a board chair – have fostered my abilities as a group facilitator and trainer.

I lead on Zebra’s solution-focused communication work.

“He said that most men were in their lives like the carpenter whose work went so slowly for the dullness of his tools that he had not time to sharpen them.” Cormac McCarthy, The Crossing

Janet Horrocks

I am Zebra’s Organisational Co-ordinator.  I have over 35 years of experience in this kind of job working in, banks and colleges in Customer Services and Co-ordinators roles, whilst successfully building a family business.   I have also built my own house, brought up 2 children and have two grand children!

I am born and bred in Plymouth, and sometimes it feels I am either related to or friends with the whole of the city.  I went to Notre Dame and The College of Further Education now City College Plymouth, and have worked in the City ever since.

I’m a keen fundraiser albeit on a small scale, and have taken part in various sponsored events.

I have been brought up to believe that everyone is equal, and that is something that has been one of my underlying values throughout my life.  Zebra’s values of equality and participation and its drive to push these forward make this an exciting place to work and one which I’m sure I will have a long and happy association with.

Liza Packer

Since completing my Postgraduate Diploma in Youth and Community Work I have spent the past 16 years working in Plymouth within the community and voluntary sector at a grassroots and strategic decision-making level.

My experience of working with local communities has shaped my belief that a community development approach builds the capacity of individuals and groups and turns ‘talk’ into ‘positive action’. I am passionate about community engagement processes that enable local people to influence and shape public services that affect their lives and neighbourhoods.

I have a special interest in staff and volunteer support and supervision methods resulting in the development of Zebra Collective’s Solution Focused Management course. I am an experienced facilitator and enjoy focusing on team building, change management and organisational health checks/evaluation.

I have recently taken on the part-time role of Programme Organiser of our first international cultural exchange programme in partnership with Global Xchange, VSO, the British Council and Department for International Development.

To Zebra I bring my experience, passion and values for working alongside people and the ability to listen and reflect on my own practice.

Alyssa Page

I first came across the solution-focused approach whilst working as a behaviour support teacher with young people who had been permanently excluded from school. Often for the first time, these young people were having optimistic conversations about their behaviour where they were able to build on times they’d managed well and where the goals they chose to work towards were meaningful to them. I saw straight away that it works and is energising and empowering.  I’ve since developed how I use solution focused communication in my work with children with additional support needs and their families, and as a counsellor I use solution-focused brief therapy as a stand alone model or a tool within an integrated approach. I’m looking forward to developing this work as part of Zebra Solutions.

“There’s nothing wrong with you that what’s right with you can’t fix.”  Baruch Shalem

Sharon Cox

I am Sharon Cox and managed to do 32 years in Social Care. I am an out Local Authority Social Worker. I took redundancy at the end of 2006.

I had the great privilege of starting when generic meant all encompassing, working with individuals and families whatever their make up and also when sociology began to impact on social work. When the divide between adult and children and family work happened. I took the children route. Later I went into team management with part time work on both the CSS (study supervisor) and CQSW (tutoring) courses; part time so I could remain in practise. I was a Child protection Offficer for 9 years and finally a seconded manager into an integrated drug and alcohol service.

I have always been involved in training and I love it, for me the heart of the work is understanding the attitudes and values we bring to it and how this influences the decisions we make. Yes I do processes, systems and the law with plenty of participation and questions. My chosen areas are anything to do with Child or Adult Protection/ Safeguarding, and Equality and Diversity. I am also lucky to have strong parents, family and friends who regularly keep me in check.