Team

 

Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM) is a unique coalition of the national charities – Clinks, Collective Voice, Homeless Link and Mind. Together MEAM represents over 1,300 frontline organisations across England.

Our work is delivered by a dedicated team, with broad experience across services, systems and policy. Governance is provided by the MEAM Programme Board, formed of the chief executives of each organisation.

Staff team

Oliver Hilbery

Chief Executive

Ollie leads MEAM’s work to transform services, systems and policy for people experiencing multiple disadvantage. His role covers team leadership, strategy, governance and fundraising, as well as regular work with local areas and national policymakers.

Ollie joined MEAM as the inaugural Director in 2009 and reports to the MEAM Board. Prior to MEAM, Ollie worked at Homeless Link as Head of Policy and before that on specific projects related to housing and migration. He has also worked in local government and at a policy consultancy.

Anna Suswillo

Head of Partnerships, Networks and Training

Anna oversees the support we provide to local areas in the MEAM Approach network to transform the way that services and systems work for people facing multiple disadvantage.  This includes bespoke support from Partnership Managers and our events and training programme.

Prior to MEAM, Anna worked in the Homeless Link partnerships team supporting local areas in the South East, and as a Senior Manager supporting the team’s strategic priorities.

Richard Lewis

Head of External Affairs (Interim)

Richard leads on the support contract to the Changing Futures programme, as well as having responsibility for external policy and external consultancy opportunities for MEAM.

Richard joined MEAM in 2019 and has worked in a variety of roles, including a two-year secondment at the UK’s Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. This has involved directly supporting work in programme areas, along with supporting colleagues on strategic and programmatic development, legislative analysis, cost-benefit/cost-avoidance and data-use analysis.

Previously, Richard worked at a youth homelessness and domestic abuse charity in Cardiff and a refugee and asylum seeker charity in Swansea; and a large international NGO working in Wales, as well as international experience in Türkiye.

Hana Bloedel

Hana leads on our online community platform Mighty Networks and supports the local areas that comprise the MEAM Approach network.

Hana is passionate about cause-driven work previously working at a BPOC youth led charity leading their program for students of colour and LGBTQ students aimed at self-development, community building and leadership. She has also worked at an NGO in Eastern Europe and an education non-profit in the USA.

Carl Brown

Systems Practice Manager

Carl provides bespoke systems-focused support to help local areas tackle problems related to multiple disadvantage.

Before joining MEAM Carl worked within the homelessness sector in a range of frontline services including Housing First and 18 months as an evaluator for the national Housing First Pilot. As someone with lived experience of homelessness and multiple disadvantage he is passionate about his work. Carl has experience working within transformational teams, applying systems thinking methods to bring about positive change and working with the police and social housing providers.

Greg Headley

Partnerships Development Manager

As Partnerships Development Manager, Greg provides bespoke support to new areas in the MEAM Approach network.

Greg began working with people in 2002 as a residential volunteer in a youth homeless project in Edinburgh. He has since worked extensively in rough sleeping outreach, supported housing, drug & alcohol, and mental health services. Since 2017 he has worked as a partnership development worker for The Passage, Homeless Link and now for MEAM from June 2022.

Greg brings his own life experiences to the role; he is driven to increase our intersectional thinking and collective response particularly related to the impact of complex trauma on people’s lives and life experiences and use this to reframe systems within which we operate.

Gerry McNamara

Training and Consultancy Manager

Gerry is responsible for developing, delivering, marketing and expanding MEAM’s commercial training and specialist consultancy services.

Gerry has worked in the charity sector for over 25 years, previously working at Mind, the Centre for Accessible Environments and Shape, as well as supporting advisory groups and being a trustee. She has led both funded and income-generating charitable programmes and services with a particular focus on knowledge development, consultancy, project delivery and product development.

Maud Pedemonte-Ellis

Maud provides dedicated partnership support to local areas in the Changing Futures programme, supporting to achieve lasting and sustainable improved outcomes at individual, service and system levels.

Prior to the MEAM work, Maud has worked extensively in the voluntary sector as an advocate, supporting women whose experience of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) intersects with severe and multiple disadvantage, working in particular with individuals with insecure immigration status and No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF).

Anthony Pickup

Involvement and Inclusion Manager

Anthony supports the MEAM coalition and MEAM Approach network areas to increase their involvement of people with lived experience and co-produce their work.

Anthony has worked for Catching Lives in various roles and at Porchlight as a member of their Involvement Service, both in the Kent area. He has managed several peer-led projects and has contributed to research and reports both at a local and national level. He is also a former chair of the Homeless Link Expert Advisory Panel.

Lauren Wallace

Senior Partnerships Manager - Changing Futures

Lauren has over twelve years of experience working directly and intensively with people who have experienced multiple disadvantage, and in partnership with the services supporting them.

Prior to MEAM, Lauren held a range of roles at Fulfilling Lives Islington and Camden (FLIC) throughout the lifetime of the project including VAWG Lead and Operational Development Manager. Before that, Lauren worked in substance misuse and criminal justice settings. She brings with her an interest and experience in working within a reflective, trauma informed approach. 

Associates

Safia Cragg

MEAM Associate

Safia is a consultant, trainer and MEAM Associate, focused on systems leadership and support to local areas around equity, diversity and inclusion. Prior to this, Safia worked at MEAM for four years as a Partnerships Manager (South East) and as Head of Networks and Operations.

Safia has worked in a variety of front line services offering support and advocacy to people experiencing or at risk of becoming homeless. This has included specialist work with young women who have experienced domestic and sexual abuse within minoritised communities.

Gavin Roberts

MEAM Associate

Gavin is a consultant, trainer and MEAM Associate focussed on systems leadership and systems practice. Prior to this, Gavin led the Systems Practice Team at MEAM, overseeing our system intervention support for local areas and our systems leadership programme.

Gavin is a board member of the national body SCiO, holds a Level 7 qualification in leadership and management and undertook a Level 7 apprenticeship in Systems Practice while working full-time for MEAM. He has many years’ experience as a systems practitioner working within local authorities and the VCS, specialising in multi-organisational contexts.

Gavin has worked at all levels, from frontline staff to CEOs, including regular one-to-one and team coaching and mentoring.

Tassie Weaver

MEAM Associate

Tassie is a consultant, trainer and MEAM Associate, delivering workforce development, training and consultancy for network members. Prior to this, Tassie was Head of Networks and Operations for MEAM from 2017-2022, coordinating the support provided nationally to Fulfilling Lives and MEAM Approach areas.

Tassie has experience of delivering a range a of front line services providing support and advocacy for people who are rough sleeping, including Hospital to Home and No Second Night Out. Before joining MEAM, Tassie worked for West Yorkshire Finding Independence, focusing specifically on coordinating interventions around multiple disadvantage.