Executive Committee

Tracey Rose – FSN

I have had experience of working with children, young people and families for over 30 years and have been lucky to have worked across sectors so have an understanding of the different systems. This has included Children’s Services, Schools, Adult Learning, and Early Years. My current role as CEO of FSN means I am able to use the skills I have developed over the years to offer a holistic approach when working with children and families. I have been involved in developing a range of local initiatives both within my organisation and in partnership with other local charities, working to provide the services and support for local people in Hastings and St Leonards, addressing the needs of local communities. Partnership working is important to me as it gives an opportunity to bring people together sharing the skills and learning more widely, having an impact across a wider population. As well as working in Hastings, I also live in the town, so am passionate about ensuring that we are able to deliver the services that people want and will help to improve the lives of our population.

Tracy Dighton – CAB1066

I have been in post as Chief Officer at Citizens Advice 1066 for seven years. Before this I managed a Community Counselling Service, worked at City Hall in London, in various roles within the NHS and at the Department of Health. I have a Masters degree from the Centre of Charity Effectiveness at Baynes Business School. I have served as a member of the Hastings Community Network Executive for the last 2 years. In doing so I have set out to bring the experience of the advice sector staff and clients to the strategic discussions and output of the Executive. I have worked on financial inclusion, health inequalities, volunteering potential and access to services issues as part of my HCNE role. During the pandemic I was an active contributor to the work of the Covid 19 response hub and co-chaired a digital inclusion working group. I continue as a member of what is now the Community Response hub. I believe in grassroots participation and actively support the work of other local organisations such as Hastings HEART and Seaview. Supporting volunteers and staff at the CAB to do the brilliant work they do for the town keeps me motivated.

Kate Davidson – HFS

I have been a senior leader in the voluntary sector for almost 20 years, and have extensive experience of leading non-profit organisations, both in the UK and internationally. Prior to taking the role of CEO with HFS, I was CEO of Wealden Citizens Advice, and also chaired the Wealden Local Strategic Partnership. Much of my career has been spent in building the capacity, resources, resilience of individuals and their local communities, and I am excited to now bring that experience and learning to Hastings and St Leonards, where I have lived for the last 14 years and proudly call home. I think, together, as the voluntary sector, we possess the power, skills, and knowledge to bring about meaningful and lasting improvements to the lives of our residents. By coming together and collaborating, we can tap into our collective wisdom and creativity to find innovative solutions for the challenges we face. Through advocacy we can raise awareness of the very real issues that our community faces and bridge the gap between the community and the decision-makers to ensure that tangible improvements actually happen, and we help create a more empowered, resilient and inclusive place to live.

Andrew Colquhoun – Friends of Hastings Country Park Reserve

It has been my privilege as a member of the HCN Executive to work alongside such committed and talented people supporting the voluntary sector in our town. I would like to be re-elected to the Executive so that I too can continue to serve our local community in this way. My role as the immediate past-chair of the Grant Advisory Panel working for the Foreshore Trust gave me a broad perspective of the local voluntary sector and its needs. I am personally active in the green sector as chair for both the Friends of Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve and for the Hastings and St Leonards Allotment Federation. As a qualified counsellor, I volunteer at the Counselling Plus Community and have played an active role in the mental health aspects of the HCN’s work. I am particularly keen to help develop the concept of social prescribing locally as a means of helping people with emotional or physical needs.

Julia Roberts – Culture Shift

I am the CEO of Culture Shift, having worked alongside Catherine Orbach (who has recently stood down) as Co-Director since 2011. In leading Culture Shift, I am proud of our board portfolio of work across the community, including work with disabled adults, adult and young carers, young people and families. My skills are particularly grounded in training as a theatre practitioner and my previous experience includes training Performing Arts teachers on behalf of the Specialist Schools Trust and directing theatre festivals internationally, on behalf of the International Schools Theatre Association. My experience both within Culture Shift and elsewhere includes project management in a range of community settings, particularly arts, cultural and community settings. I also have specific expertise in relation to access and diversity and often deliver bespoke Disability Awareness training for organisations such as Charleston and The National Trust. I served as a Charity trustee for 8 years and therefore am experienced in relation to governance, HR and financial compliance from both a management and a board perspective. I am passionate about community action. I work best in collaboration and would enthusiastically embrace the opportunity to be part of the HCN and contribute to the community of Hastings.

David Perry – Seaview Project

I've worked in the VCSE sector since 1999, starting at St Thomas Fund for the homeless, a charity dedicated to supporting local homeless people to find accommodation and rebuild their lives. I had been helped by them previously and I wanted to give something back. I worked for a social landlord with specialist mental health and substance misuse services, BHT. I trained in the NHS as an Addiction Therapist in Leeds, supporting GP’s with their patients with mental Health and substance misuse. I worked on a Day Programme for offenders and managed aftercare services and a rehab and a health promotion service. My experience helped me to find ways to remove barriers to services for people experiencing multiple and complex needs and improve health outcomes. My experience helped me evaluate medical and social models of care. As Chief Officer at the Seaview Project, I bring my experience to a Wellbeing Centre and related services as I strive to connect beneficiaries to the wellspring of community support. My experience as a member of HCN has helped me to keep connected to other VCSE’s and I recognise the immense value of this network and I feel ready to make a more active contribution.

Mary Carter - Adfam

I’m a passionate supporter of the amazing work that voluntary and community organisations do in Hastings, always looking to new ways to deal with whatever issues come up and constantly adapting to meet the needs of Hastings folk. I’ve worked as a CEO/Service Lead and as a trustee for a number of charities in Hastings, including currently as vice-Chair of HVA and in my day job providing support to families around a loved one’s substance misuse. It’s so important to work in partnership and provide a strong voice to the network of community organisations in Hastings and I know the impact HCN has had in making sure that people’s experiences are properly heard and represented in local strategies and partnership working with public bodies. I believe that the present challenges of Covid, austerity and the cost of living crisis will test the resources and resilience of our sector and make it even more critical that HCN continues its vital role. I would very much welcome the opportunity to contribute to its work and join forces with the excellent organisations involved.

Kim Batty – Hastings HEART

At HEART I work closely with other organisations that directly benefit the community, this gives me a broad knowledge and insight into how they run, who they support and how they complement each other. As well as this, I run some of HEART’s public-facing projects, where I meet beneficiaries and gain an understanding of what the community may need. A good example of this is The Community Information Hub, where both these parts of my work come together. I am responsible for creating and updating HEART’s training, guidelines and handbooks for volunteers so have a keen grasp on what working with volunteers entails and how they’re a key part of many community organisations. I am mainly in charge of how HEART collects, evaluates and reports on data. This overview allows me to exercise my perspicacity and analytical skills, which I hope would be a useful asset to the HCN Executive because I am passionate about the work I do remaining relevant and responsive to the people it aims to help. I’d like to be part of helping projects and organisations collaborate because they are inspiring and together, make a huge difference to the Hastings community, which is where my heart lies.

Jacqui Skilton – ESRA

I have worked in Hastings for the last 7 years. Working for East Sussex Recovery Alliance supporting people in Recovery from substance misuse. I believe by working together we can raise the profile of the voluntary sector. Ensuring that everyone we work with is heard and represented. Partnership is key to improving funding opportunities for the voluntary sector. I hope to play a more active role in the HCN now I am only based in Hastings.

Steve Manwaring - HVA

I have served on the HCN Executive since the network was formed and as a regular contributor to events. I have worked in the voluntary sector for over 30 years and have had experience of Local Government as an officer and elected member (I am a former Deputy leader of Hastings Borough Council). In my current role as CEO of Hastings Voluntary Action I lead an active team who provide relevant and innovative support to literally hundreds of organisations each year. During COVID I facilitated the Community Hub bringing together a genuine cross sector partnership which offered services to local residents during lockdown and was regarded as one of the strongest community responses in the UK. I was instrumental in the creation of Facing the Future the report which outlined the lessons from COVID and how they could be used to create new ways of delivering services to local people. HCN is a vital mechanism for the VCSE sector to represent the interests of the VCSE in Hastings. I have enjoyed being part of the executive and have a detailed understanding of the issue which we would want to see addressed over the coming period.