About Us - Meet The Team
Leanne Mallinson - Company Director
- Co-ordinating teams of family support volunteers dealing with child poverty
- Supporting domestic abuse victims
- Senior Organiser for Home-Start Wigan
- Managing Women's Refuge
- Managed the Independent Domestic Violence Advosir (IDVA)
- Domestic Abuse Outreach
Leanne got involved with the development of Innovate Volunteering because she could see what an amazing difference volunteering can make to
individuals provided that they are invested in properly and fully supported in their roles.
With her background in working within supportive services she wanted to develop an idea that encompassed both.
Within Innovate Leanne gets involved with everything but her main duties include; developing the company and its partnerships,
coordinating volunteers, project management, delivering training, health and safety, marketing and communications, policy development,
personal coach and safeguarding.
"I am highly motivated and driven with great interpersonal skills enabling me to communicate with a wide range of people/audiences.
I have both coaching and counselling qualifications and with my enthusiasm and coaching skills, I am able to inspire and motivate others.
I am comfortable with and welcome new challenges, change and development.
I am creative in my approach and am always exploring new and innovative ways of working.
I have considerable experience of developing projects as well as working with and supporting volunteers."
Elaine Chappell - Company Director
Over the last six years Elaine has been working to identify barriers in different aspects of life and education with a goal of helping people to find ways to overcome them. As an Every Child Matters Area Coordinator Elaine developed the extended schools agenda which increased her experience in analysing the needs of local communities and the gaps in services. In her last role as a project manager in a child and family poverty team she gained extensive knowledge in factors that effect family life and how you can mitigate them and had a nationally acclaimed and recognised volunteer project.
Within Innovate Elaine is involved in and develops all aspects of the company but has a particular focus on the following areas;
Business and Project Development, Volunteer Coordination, Financial Management, Operations and Strategic Development,
Training and Development and Funding.
"I had worked as a project manager for about six years and loved the development aspect and freedom of this.
I helped to develop Innovate Volunteering because I wanted to work in a role were I truly felt that what I was doing was making a
difference to people it was meant to. I was really happy to be able to take the politics away and just concentrate on empowering
people and helping them to see they could move forward and watching them grow in confidence. I have been on a personal
journey of self discovery over the last ten years and wanted to help others to grow in the same way."
Advisory Board Members
Mark Cleary
Mark's expertise is as a Social Worker (Adoption/Family Finder), in Children's Services and Behaviour and Self Esteem Education.
His advisory board role includes being a member of the recruitments and selection sub committee and a safeguarding advisor.
John McIntyre
John's expertise is as a Social Worker/Project Manager (Aiming High for Disabled Children), in Inclusion, parental involvement
and partnership workshops. His advisory board role includes being a member of the policy and procedure sub committee and a
equality and diversity advisor.
Anne Jenkins
Anne expertise is in Local Authority, Project management, Psychology and Children's rights and responsibilities.
She is chair of the Advisory Board
Audrey Whitby
Audrey's expertise is in Project Volunteering, Mental health, counselling and holistic therapies.
She is Secretary of the Advisory board and is also a volunteer sub group representative.
