DRY JANUARY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Fundraising and Engagement
Adam joined Alcohol Change UK in September 2019 from Marie Curie where he worked in Community Fundraising. He brings experience working in fundraising for young homeless people in Sheffield and for Oxfam. Alongside Danielle, Adam looks after all things fundraising for Alcohol Change UK.
In his spare time Adam can be found running, struggling to play football and studying for an MSc in Global Health.
Job Titles:
- Chartered Management Accountant
Adam is a chartered management accountant (ACMA) and has held the role of Chief Financial Officer in both the private sector, for the Fresh Direct Group, and in the charity sector, for Macmillan Cancer Support, where he helped them overhaul their reserves policy, implement GDPR and develop a new financial framework. Most recently, however, Adam has launched his own business called Sobersauce. Founded on the back of becoming sober himself, whilst studying for his MBA, Sobersauce aims to introduce people to great-tasting non-alcoholic beers via its beer club, tasting service and online shop.
Job Titles:
- Director of Research and Public Affairs
Ailar joined Alcohol Change UK in January 2022. She brings nearly a decade's worth of policy and influencing experience, having worked for an MP and national charities Breast Cancer Now and Versus Arthritis. She is responsible for developing the charity's evidence base on alcohol harm through our research and policy work. Ailar also leads on our influencing work, making sure that the government hears the voices of those impacted by alcohol harm through our amazing network of campaigners, and targeted public affairs activities to make sure that we are affecting alcohol policy in a meaningful way.
Job Titles:
- Alcohol Change UK 's Director for Wales
- Director for Wales
Andrew is Alcohol Change UK's Director for Wales, and has led the development of the charity's work in Wales since 2009.
Job Titles:
- Digital Programme Manager
Angela joined Alcohol Change UK in September 2022 as Digital Programme Manager. She leads on the delivery of our flagship Dry January campaign and is responsible for improving the reach of our digital behaviour change offer, which includes our brilliant free app, Try Dry, online forums, email coaching journeys and more. Angela trained as a Psychologist in Australia and has worked in the alcohol treatment field for 17 years. She joins our team having previously managed digital products and services within the charity sector aimed at supporting people to reduce their drinking.
Job Titles:
- Digital Communications Officer
Bill joined Alcohol Change UK in August 2022. As well as managing our social media, Bill supports us in delivering our wider digital marketing and communications strategies to increase engagement and reach across all of our channels. Bill studied Sports Journalism at university and has a background in communications in the charity and educational sectors. He is a keen sports fan and is a season ticket holder at West Ham United.
Job Titles:
- Alcohol Change UK As Head of Fundraising
- Director of Fundraising and Engagement
Danielle joined Alcohol Change UK as Head of Fundraising and Engagement in August 2019, she brings with her over 14 years of fundraising experience having previously worked at Spinal Research, Anthony Nolan, The Silver Line and NSPCC. She is also volunteers for ChildLine and Caris Bereavement Service.
Dave is an author, motivational speaker and sobriety coach. From the very start of his own sobriety journey he made the decision to chart his experiences on social media and @soberdave was born. Dave feels passionately that by speaking as honestly as he can about the highs and lows of sobriety it will hopefully encourage others who may be sober or sober curious to do the same. He hosts the top 10 apple podcast ‘One for the road' and is a qualified Grey Area Drinking coach.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Research Fellow at the National Addiction Centre
Emmert is a clinical research fellow at the National Addiction Centre, King's College London and a practising psychiatrist specialising in substance misuse at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. Emmert's research focuses on population health studies of alcohol-related mortality, and hospitalisation, and he is also a trustee of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH).
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive
- Alcohol Change UK As Chief Executive
Richard joined Alcohol Change UK as Chief Executive in September 2017, having previously worked for Mencap, NCVO and Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity and provided consultancy to many of the UK's biggest and smallest charities. He is a trustee of the Children's Chronic Arthritis Association and is an active volunteer for St Albans Woodcraft Folk.
Job Titles:
- Marketing and Communications Assistant
Eli joined Alcohol Change UK in November 2021. Part of the Comms team, Eli works on website updates, blog edits, campaigns and supporting people with our Try Dry app. Eli has previously worked in trusts and grants fundraising and facilitating creative workshops for community groups.
Job Titles:
- Director of Marketing and Communications
Emily joined Alcohol Change UK in January 2022. Emily leads the Communications Team working across our key programmes of work including our flagship Dry January campaign and is responsible for developing our wider communications, brand and marketing strategies. She joins us from LandAid, the property industry charity, where she was Head of Communications and Engagement and has experience working in addiction and homelessness.
Job Titles:
- Head of Finance
- Alcohol Change UK As Finance Manager
Envere joined Alcohol Change UK as Finance Manager in June 2019. Her role involves managing and reporting on financial performance to the senior management team and trustees. Envere has extensive experience in managing finances in charitable sector.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Founder and Director of TellMAMA
Fiyaz is the Founder and Director of TellMAMA, Faith Matters, and the National No2H8 awards. He was previously CEO of Enfield Citizens Advice and has also been a prominent member of the Liberal Democrats and a Lib Dem councillor in both Oxford and Haringey. He is Chair of the Oxford Research Group, which "promotes international policy-making that is inclusive, accountable, sustainable and effective" and works "to transform thinking about security, helping to break out of the cycle of conflict and violence." He is also an adviser to the Commission on Countering Extremism.
James has worked with adults and children in substance use treatment, children in care, youth offending and in social care. He has provided substance misuse training across young people's services. James completed his master's degree in social work and worked as a Children's Social Worker in Derby and Derbyshire. James is a member of MINT (Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers) and has delivered across a range of services and areas including Substance Misuse, Children's Services (Social Care and Multi-agency Teams) and Youth Offending Teams. James Lectured in Health and Social Care before setting up as a Freelance Motivational Interviewing and Safeguarding Consultant and Trainer. His 22 years working with Children, Young People and their families across 5 Local Authorities, has given him a wealth of knowledge and experience which he now brings to life in training. At the heart of his approach to training is his compassionate approach and the belief that a collaborative approach to working with people to affect change in their lives works best.
Job Titles:
- Consultancy and Training Manager
Jane joined Alcohol Change UK in January 2022 to manage our Consultancy and Training services, ensuring that as many practitioners and services as possible who provide support and treatment to people with alcohol problems are able to benefit from our training support.
Jane brings with her 21 years' experience in the charity sector, having undertaken a variety of roles at different UK charities including providing fundraising and service development consultancy to small charities and managing national training and support services.
Jane spends her spare time running - not only marathons but also after her two teenage boys.
Job Titles:
- Senior Corporate Partnerships Officer
Jaynee joined Alcohol Change UK as Senior Corporate Partnerships Officer in November 2021, helping to manage our Charity of the Year and Dry January partnerships programme.
Jaynee brings over 10 years of fundraising experience previously working for Kew Foundation, Bipolar UK, Marie Curie and the British Heart Foundation.
Job Titles:
- Head of Office, People and Governance
Jenni joined Alcohol Change UK in November 2017. Outgoing, creative and team-focused, Jenni maintains the running of the office in addition to assisting the Chief Executive. She also supports the wider team with their work in communications, research and training.
Job Titles:
- Senior Communications Manager
Julie joined Alcohol Change UK in September 2015 having previously worked as freelance Communications Adviser to the European Communications Office and prior to that as Communications Manager at Ofcom. Julie works, together with the Director of Communications, on the development and implementation of our brand, communications and marketing strategies.
Lauren has worked for over 18 years in the alcohol sector. She is an experienced. Alcohol Change UK consultant, working with the charity since 2009. Lauren specialises in supporting the private sector to reduce alcohol-related harm and promote employee wellbeing. Her clients include British Telecom, Allianz Global, the Royal Navy and Eversheds Sutherland. Lauren also regularly advises firms on the development and implementation of effective alcohol policies and supporting employees with alcohol problems. She is a qualified alcohol treatment practitioner and has extensive experience as an addiction counsellor. She is also a passionate advocate for recovery coaching and wellbeing promotion and helps businesses of all sizes to minimise the impact of alcohol on their workforce. She has advised the government on the development of a model alcohol policy for employers and is an experienced speaker at national wellbeing events. Lauren is also a highly effective trainer, delivering courses on all aspects of alcohol, health and wellbeing.
Job Titles:
- Senior Policy and Research Manager
Mark joined Alcohol Change UK in August 2009, and is based in our Wales office in Cardiff. His role involves identifying and delivering research projects, and using strong networks to influence alcohol policy.
Job Titles:
- Senior Consultant at Alcohol Change UK
Mike Ward is Senior Consultant at Alcohol Change UK. He comes from a social work background and was working in alcohol outreach in the 1980s in London. He founded and led Surrey's Alcohol and Drug Advisory Service and has worked for Cranstoun and Kent Council on Addiction. He was also formerly Commissioning Manager (Mental Health & Substance Misuse) for Surrey Social Services. Mike is now a full-time consultant and trainer and has worked in the substance misuse/mental health field for over thirty years. He wrote the Department of Health/NTA guidelines on running drug death review systems and is one of the two key drivers behind the Blue Light project which has won both a Guardian Public Service Award and a Royal Society for Public Health Award. Mike has been asked to undertake a number of Safeguarding Adult Reviews (under s44 of the Care Act) by local authority Safeguarding Adult Boards. These reviews look at learning lessons from the deaths of clients who are already the focus of his work.
Gareth leads the Client Services Team at Chelsea Football Club. Responsible for the account management and retention of all hospitality accounts, his background in sport also extends to rugby, where he spent six years as Sales and Debenture Manager at Harlequins FC. Here, Gareth developed sales strategies, compèred hospitality lounges and was integral in establishing the ‘Big Game' at Twickenham as an iconic event in the sporting calendar. During his career in sport, Gareth has established an influential network of both sportspeople and sports fans - and has served on the fundraising boards for Chris Robshaw's Testimonial Year and the UK Delegation for the 2018 Invictus Games.
Mike worked in the NHS for over 30 years, 18 of which were as a CEO. During this time, he had extensive involvement in the development of mental health services. He has had a number of non-executive appointments being Vice Chairman of two university boards as well as having been on three NHS boards. Most recently he was Vice Chairman of Oxford Health NHS Trust and continues to meet patients who often have a dual diagnosis, as a Mental Health Act Manager. He has an interest in improving the well-being of older people particularly, being a Trustee of the Dunhill Medical Trust and is Chairman of the local U3A.
Job Titles:
- Digital Marketing Manager
Natalie joined Alcohol Change UK in August 2022. Natalie is responsible for marketing our key campaigns including Dry January, Sober Spring and Alcohol Awareness week. She works closely with our fundraising, public affairs, and consultancy and training teams, identifying opportunities to promote our services and increase engagement with our supporters. She joins us from LandAid, the property industry charity, where she was Senior Digital Communications and Content Officer and has experience working in homelessness and fertility.
Job Titles:
- Research and Policy Officer
Natasha joined Alcohol Change UK in December 2017. Natasha works across our research and communications activities, as well as supporting our Secretariat function to the APPG on Alcohol Harm.
Job Titles:
- Community and Challenge Events Officer
Robin joined Alcohol Change UK in July 2022 from the Institute of Cancer Research where he managed challenge events and community fundraising. He brings 15 years' experience working in fundraising for Sue Ryder, Sense, and Spinal Research, and looks forward to supporting all the sporty and community fundraisers at Alcohol Change UK.
You can often find Robin running somewhere, including taking part in race days with some of our participants. He uses this experience to share lots of hints and tips with our supporters to help them get the most out of their experience.
Shumita joined Alcohol Change UK in 2014. She supports our finance team with the day-to-day running of the department.
Susan Laurie is an author and mental health advocate, specifically relating to alcohol issues and alcohol dependence. Following university, she had a successful career in marketing in the pharmaceutical industry and was then an entrepreneur with her own company, before succumbing to a serious drinking problem. This escalated to a life-threatening situation, despite many attempts at familiar interventions including counselling, rehab and Alcoholics Anonymous. After her recovery, she wrote the book ‘From Rock Bottom To Sober Forever', which has provided inspiration and hope to thousands of people and has been praised for the exceptional account of the stealth-like progression of addiction. Susan contributed to the House of Lords Commission on Alcohol Harm and has written blogs for the Alcohol Health Alliance and Alcohol Change UK. She is a frequent guest on alcohol related podcasts and recently hosted a meeting for Public Policy Exchange where MPs and experts on alcohol harm discussed alcohol dependence and misuse. She was also recognised as a ‘Woman of The Year' in 2020.
Job Titles:
- Behaviour Change Communications Officer
Thea joined us as Behaviour Change Communications Officer in 2022. She works on the behaviour change programme within the organisation and supports the Digital Programme Manager on its delivery, as well as on the development and maintenance of our Try Dry app. Thea has wide experience in digital, social media and communications across the Third Sector and has come to us from the RNLI.
Vivienne Evans OBE is Chief Executive of Adfam, the national umbrella organisation for children and families affected by someone else's substance misuse. She has a background in drug and alcohol education, prevention and young people. She is a former member of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) and chaired its working group on the implementation of the Hidden Harm report. She also chaired the Drug Sector Skills Consortium, funded by the Department of Health, from 2012 until its conclusion in 2015, and the Family Drug and Alcohol Court Advisory Group, until 2016. She is a board member of the International Society of Substance Use Prevention and Treatment and the London Hep C Joint Working Group.