Meet the team …

Community Project Co-ordinator

Alison has a background in people-centred roles, with 20 years’ experience of leading teams in the world of HR, working as a Teaching Assistant and volunteering for environmental charities and as Vice Chair of the PTA at Slimbridge School. She is super organised and passionate about the community and bringing people together. Alison is always a friendly face at GL11. In her downtime, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, nature walks, and anything creative like embroidery and upcycling furniture.

LIFT Project Team

Carly is a therapeutic counsellor who specialises in person-centred and physiodynamic theory. She finds fulfilment in a client-focused space where individuals feel heard and supported. Outside of work, she explores her artistic side through baking, crafting, and socialising with family and friends.

Community Response Lead

Cathryn’s background in horticulture and adult community learning sparked her passion for people and place. She is committed to co creating inclusive spaces that champion equity, belonging, and neurodiversity awareness. Away from work, she’s happiest in wild landscapes, with music never far behind.

Project Co-ordinator / LIFT Project Team

Dawn is committed to creating spaces where people feel heard, understood and empowered. She does this in two ways, firstly in her role as a counsellor /assessor helping people access the right emotional support and secondly by supporting  parents of neurodiverse children - a community that she is keen to champion. Outside of work, you'll often find her singing her heart out or working hard(ish) in the gym.

LIFT Project Team

Debbie pursued a career in Therapeutic Counselling after working in corporate facilities management, specialising in Person-Centred and Psychodynamic approaches. At GL11, she provides a client-focused space where individuals feel heard and supported. Outside of work, she explores her artistic side through baking novelty cakes.

Community Project Co-ordinator

With a background in education and community engagement, Ellie has spent the last 10 years working and volunteering for organisations dedicated to bringing people together. She’s been involved with refugee support charities, a students’ union and within universities – learning how to listen deeply and take people-centred action. Outside of work, Ellie is happiest on a hiking trail (preferably with a furry friend) or bopping about listening to music.

Head of Delivery

As Head of Delivery, Erin leads the strategic delivery of impactful, community-driven projects and services, ensuring they align closely with our organisational values and goals. Erin develops and oversees operational plans, acts as the safeguarding lead, and collaborates with diverse teams of staff and volunteers to achieve meaningful, systemic change. Erin’s role involves building and nurturing partnerships, managing project outcomes effectively, upholding rigorous governance standards, and embedding a data-driven culture across our services. Erin provides strategic direction alongside hands-on operational management, always prioritising innovation, inclusivity, and continuous improvement.

Finance Officer

Heather joined GL11 in April 2022 and is an integral part of the finance team, helping everything to run smoothly behind the scenes.

LIFT Project Team

Helen is a counsellor assessor, driven by a deep care for others and a commitment to improving mental health and wellbeing. She prides herself in creating a calm, supportive space where people can talk and begin to explore change. When she's not working, Helen can be found with her head in a good book or walking her beloved dogs in the great outdoors.

Head of Governance

Head of Finance & HR

Jane joined GL11 in 2014 as an administrator and has since grown into her role as Head of Finance. Over the past decade, she has supported the charity through significant change and is proud to work with a team that makes a real difference in her community. Outside the Hub, she enjoys time with family and friends, music events, and peaceful dog walks.

Clinical Lead

Jess has worked in the health sector for over ten years, with a background in dementia care, and is a qualified Integrative Counsellor and Psychotherapist. Jess is the Clinical Lead for our Counselling Service within GL11, for which she is responsible for the day-to-day management and clinical decision making within the service, ensuring all client work is carried out ethically and safely. Alongside this, Jess also continues to carry out assessments and 1-1 client sessions for the service. Jess is passionate about providing quality emotional support to local people, to ensure everyone has access to a safe, non-judgemental therapeutic space, should they need it. Outside of work, Jess enjoys yoga, reading a good crime novel and sharing food with friends!

Community Wellbeing Administrator

After 20+ years in Education, in welfare, safeguarding and careers guidance roles, Karen joined GL11 as co-ordinator and administrator for the counselling team and more recently, the Pilot Pain Project. In her spare time, she enjoys walking, reading, and spending time with friends and family.

Community Receptionist

Kate loves meeting new people, having a chinwag and putting the world to rights. Super-organised Kate has worked in administration & reception for 25+ years. When she has downtime she enjoys nothing more than watching movies and whatever rubbish is on the TV, spending time with her family, and enjoying a spot of crafting.

Families & Young People Team Manager

Kath holds a degree in Early Childhood Studies and leads a wide range of sessions including Family Friday, Stay & Play, Messy Monday, Adventure Play, PEEP and HENRY. She is deeply passionate about supporting families, helping children thrive, and creating warm, inclusive spaces where parents feel empowered and connected. Having lived in Dursley all her life, Kath is strongly rooted in the community and loves being part of its growth and wellbeing. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, long walks, and unwinding with a drink at her local pub, The Old Spot. Fun fact: Kath is obsessed with Christmas jumpers and festive hats—she proudly starts wearing them in November!

Family Team

Katie has worked for the Families Team as bank staff for 10 years. She works in the creche and Adventure Play. In her spare time Katie enjoys making jewellery, painting, drawing, and attending Art and Chat at GL11.

Family Team

Family Team

CEO

Lisa has been part of the GL11 family for the past few years and is now honoured to lead the organisation as CEO. With a background in health and social care, she is passionate about tackling inequalities through collaboration, co-design, and community power. Living in Dursley with her family, Yorkshire Terrier and three cats, she’s deeply connected to the community. Lisa sees every day the challenges people face, but also the strength, compassion, and creativity that makes this community so special. She believes real change happens when communities feel safe, valued and heard, and are trusted to lead the way—and that’s exactly what GL11 stands for. Lisa is excited to build on our work together and looks forward to what we can achieve as a community.

Governance & HR Admin

Liz loves helping out the community, whether that’s in the café cooking or, for a number of years, caring for and educating children in a preschool setting, where she was also the financial administrator. In her spare time Liz likes to do creative activities like cross stitch and knitting.

LIFT Project Team

Head of Connect & Nourish

Naomi grew up in Dursley, and after several years working for an international education programme focusing on youth development and sustainability in Sweden, she has returned to this part of the world to contribute to the community here locally. Naomi is passionate about food as a tool for connection, and has spent several years working at different levels of the food system, from cooking to teaching workshops and conducting research and writing. Food holds a special place, in the way that it touches all parts of our lives, from the personal to the social and environmental - this makes it a powerful place to leverage change. In her spare time, Naomi enjoys being in nature, swimming, and the arts: live music and all forms of creative expression.

Communications Officer

Owen is passionate about using his storytelling skills to share all of the amazing things happening at GL11 and in Cam and Dursley. He also loves tea, books, and live music.

Fundraising & Communications Manager

Paul is an astrophysicist turned environmental and community campaigner. He spends half his time filling in forms to try and persuade people to give money to fund GL11. The other half of the time he can be found growing vegetables and annoying people with his love of all things Prog Rock.

Head of Incubate & Develop

Ramona loves bringing people together and making a positive difference in the community. With years of experience leading local projects and supporting vulnerable groups, she’s all about creating connections that last. When she’s not working, you’ll likely find her salsa dancing or out on a walk with her two dogs.

Admin Officer

Sam has always lived in the Stroud area and joined GL11 in 2024. She began her journey at GL11 with the blood-pressure team before progressing to her position as an administrative assistant. She holds a degree in International Studies and has a background in hospitality management. In her spare time, she enjoys travelling, cooking, and spending time with her family.

LIFT Project Team

Sarah pursued a career in Therapeutic Counselling after working in Community Development, specialising in a Person-Centred and Compassion Focused approach. At GL11, she provides a safe and confidential space where individuals can freely explore their thoughts and emotions. Outside of work, she likes to read and spend time walking in nature.

Community Cook

Sharon’s motivation is cooking fresh homemade food for customers in the cafe. She spends her spare time with her daughter.

Volunteer Co-ordinator

Tony is our general maintenance / Care & Repair man, and he also helps to run the Foodbank and Community Pantry. Outside of work you will probably find him tinkering around in his man cave or chilling out listening to music while doing some kind of hobbying (but in reality he sleeps a lot and watches TV!).

Community Project Co-ordinator

Will thrives in finding pragmatic solutions that help people live their best lives. With a background in expedition leadership, adventure tourism and education, Will is equally at home chatting to community members over a cup of tea as he is leading a group mountain biking through the woods! In his spare time, when not looking after his young children, Will likes to spend his time on two wheels, from Enduro Mountain bike racing to ultra endurance road races and everything in between, being outdoors and ideally on two wheels is his happy place.