Our Team
We are an expert team of communicators, network-builders, researchers, designers and venture builders with experience in a range of social issues.
Our team is based mainly, but not exclusively, in London, Reading and Bristol. We also work with a group of specialist associates from around the world who bring value and expertise across our projects.
David Barclay
Partner
David leads on projects ranging from increasing the provision of affordable credit to supporting cities become more inclusive of migrants and refugees. He is a former President of the Oxford University Student Union and was previously a community organiser in East London.
Revd Dr Russell Rook OBE
Partner
Russell is a founding partner of the Good Faith Partnership. Having previously served The Salvation Army, Labour Party and numerous social enterprises and charities, Russell now works with politicians, governments, faith communities, NGOs and civil society groups on a range of issues including, migration, social justice and religious freedom.
Ange Henry
EA to Revd Dr Russell Rook
Ange has worked for GFP since 2017 and brings with her years of EA knowledge and experience to assist Revd Dr Russell Rook. Ange also works very closely with Linda Mitchell and the rest of the core operational team and in particular assists with the running of the Good Faith Foundation, the sister company of GFP.
Geraldine Chacón V.
Senior Consultant
Geraldine supports a range of projects and services, including philanthropy consulting and strategic review. With a background in Law and Human Rights, she has worked as a researcher across sectors, including central banking and international organisations such as the World Organization Against Torture. Having worked with educational programmes in Latin America, she brings an interdisciplinary background in social impact and strategic thinking.
Mariyum Hussain
Assistant People and Operations Manager
Mariyum works as the Assistant People and Operations Manager and the Data Protection Lead for GFP, supporting our people as well as the delivery of some of our projects. With a background in Psychology and Law, Mariyum has worked in Education, Mental Health, the NHS as well as various charities, promoting social cohesion, inclusivity and social integration. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in her role and is determined in making a positive difference in society.
Claire Fenner Crawley
Lead Consultant
Claire has a wide range of experience in the charity and social investment sector, and has worked in the community leading a food bank and a small church. She has undertaken research into social issues ranging from homelessness and food redistribution to NGO-supporter relations. She is doing a part-time PhD in Systematic Theology focusing on questions of transformation and is interested in projects involving the links between personal, spiritual and societal transformation.
Dr Austin Tiffany
Senior Director
Austin works on a number of our international projects in the Middle East, focusing on the rights of religious minorities, interfaith cooperation, and freedom of religion or belief. Austin has professional experience in the charity and university sectors, most recently co-authoring a report on the COVID response of London faith communities while working at LSE. He holds a degree in Theology from Baylor University and a Masters and PhD in Sociology of Religion from the University of Cambridge.
Nicole Pearson
Senior Consultant
Nicole is a consultant, bringing a wide range of experience working in the social justice and charitable sphere. As a law graduate and bar course scholar, she has worked as a researcher, legal adviser and advocate as well as a volunteer human rights teacher in schools across London.
Nicole also has a particular interest in issues relating to diversity and discrimination, and founded a charitable project aimed at raising awareness about hate crime during her studies.
Linda Mitchell
Operations Director
Linda has many years’ experience in business, education, the charity and faith sectors, as well as several years working for a ground-breaking entrepreneur/philanthropist. Her expertise is in operations, marketing, communications and leadership. She oversees the smooth running of the Good Faith Partnership, including finance, HR, and operationalising new projects.
Sarah Hadden
Consultant
Sarah has recently graduated from the University of Cambridge where she studied Law, also gaining experience in charitable initiatives involving the issues of modern slavery and human trafficking. With an interest in politics, both at policy and grassroots levels, she assists on various projects within the Good Faith Partnership, particularly those focused on promoting improved collaboration of faith communities with political actors.
Esther Platt
Senior Consultant
Esther has a broad experience of working with charities and churches to enable them to maximise their social impact. She has worked as Head of Strategy in the senior leadership team of a social justice charity and as a strategy consultant and as such brings with her experience of strategic planning through collaborating with others, organisational development and project management. Esther is passionate about seeing sustainable social change and loves to see individuals and organisations thrive and work together to that end. She enjoys meeting new people, dreaming about positive changes in society and developing processes that enable people to work well together.
Jack Palmer-White
Senior Director
Jack helps to lead the work of the ChurchWorks Commission and has over a decade of experience of working with charities, faith-based organisations and social movements to help bring about change at the local, national and global level. Most recently, Jack was the Anglican Communion’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and previously was a senior advisor to the Archbishop of Canterbury on social and public affairs. He has an MSc in Religion in the Contemporary World from the London School of Economics. He is married and has two young sons, and in his ‘spare’ time coaches grassroots youth football.
Louise Garratty
Finance Officer
Louise has worked at Good Faith Partnership (GFP) since November 2023 as its newly appointed finance officer. She has more than 12 years’ experience working for one of the top six accountancy firms in the world and brings a vast amount of knowledge and expertise to the role. As well as being responsible for GFP’s bookkeeping, Louise also does the book-keeping for GFP’s sister company, the charity Good Faith Foundation. Louise is part of the operations team, which plays a key role in the everyday running of the company and the wider team.
Julian Prior
Senior Director
Julian leads our developing work on migration issues and has over two decades of experience of working with charities, churches, businesses, think tanks, local and national Government in the refugee sector. His work as the founder and leader of Action Foundation established the organisation as the largest third-sector provider of a range of services to migrants in the North East of England including piloting an alternative to detention in partnership with Home Office and UNHCR. His role as the founding Chair of the national network, NACCOM and consultancy work with The Centre for Social Justice, RAMP, Power to Change and numerous refugee charities has furthered his experience and expertise of grass roots delivery as well as strategic planning and advocacy.
Joseph Davies
Senior Consultant
Joseph is an experienced project manager and impact advisor. He has extensive links with faith and voluntary sector organisations in Bristol having formerly worked in the homelessness sector, in church leadership and organised cross-church initiatives. Alongside his work at GFP, Joseph hosts a refugee welcome hub which means he brings invaluable experience on how to provide welcome to resettled communities.
Joy Johnston
Senior Director
Joy is the Director of Faith in Labour, working closely with the Labour party to support their engagement with faith groups and civil society. Joy was previously a Senior Civil Servant and has worked with partners across government and civil society on a range of policy areas, including Tackling Loneliness, Volunteering, Refugee Resettlement and Child Protection. She brings a strong track record in delivering complex programmes and a firm belief in the power of collaboration across sectors.
Emma West
Senior Consultant
With a background in Law and a passion for social justice, Emma has worked as a Children’s Social Worker with vulnerable families, Centre Manager for a National Youth Employment Charity and Ministry Leader for a large Anglican Church. She is also a qualified coach and has worked with both private and not-for-profit clients to bring about cultural change in organisations and personal transformation in individuals.
Emma works across a number of different projects, largely focusing on our ChurchWorks initiatives including Family Hubs and Warm Welcome and is passionate about changing narratives and breaking generational patterns of deprivation.
Lorien Frank
Warm Welcome Operations Lead
Lorien has masters in Social and Community Development and has worked as a project manager and consultant on youth, community and international development programmes in multiple contexts. She is currently working as operational lead on the Warm Welcome campaign.
Myra Johnson
Director of Communications
Myra is Director of Communications for Good Faith Partnership and leads communications and brand strategy for the Warm Welcome Campaign and wider organisation. She brings 30 years’ communications experience, with the last 20 years at a senior level. Myra is passionate about improving people’s lives for the better.
Myra specialises in brand, communications, and marketing strategy in the not-for-profit and social investment sector. She has built her reputation on reframing challenging and taboo issues and tackling injustice in our society, working with charities in the disability, homelessness, domestic abuse, baby loss, death, dying and bereavement, public health, and children’s palliative care sectors.
Eleanor Palmer
Development Director
Ellie is Development Director for the Good Faith Partnership and leads on Fundraising and Income Generation for the Warm Welcome Campaign and wider organisation. Ellie has worked in fundraising for 25 years and has worked across a wide range of causes primarily for social welfare and international development charities, supporting the significant growth of income and reputation. She has worked to raise funds for organisations ranging in size - local, national and international and specialises in strategic growth and relationship fundraising with HNW/ Major Donors, Corporates and Trusts and Foundations.
Theo Hunt
Intern (Faith in Labour)
Having studied Politics and International Relations at Lancaster University, Theo stayed in the northwest for a year-long programme working with youth and comms at an Anglican church. He is keen to assist the Good Faith Partnership as they improve the relationship of faith groups and political leaders, having seen the stresses placed on churches and communities around the country.
India Fisher
Business Support Officer (Core)
As Business Support Officer, India offers administrative and operational assistance to the Good Faith Partnership team. She has recently completed a master’s in Conflict, Security and Development from King’s College London and possesses a bachelor’s degree in History. Prior to this, India spent time teaching English in Iraq and interning at the British Bosnian and Herzegovinian Chamber of Commerce. She is eager to support the Good Faith Partnership as they continue their impactful work.
Rianna Ward
Business Support Officer (Projects)
Ria has recently graduated with a Business and Sociology degree, having focussed her studies on the impact of social barriers, power dynamics and social inequalities within society. Her interest in this area stemmed from coordinating and participating in social justice volunteering projects, working with diverse groups of children and young people, and supporting charities in Reading. Ria brings this experience into her role as the Business Support Officer (Projects), supporting ChurchWorks and the Warm Welcome projects with their impactful work to tackle injustices in society.
Mohammed Ibraheem Ahmed
Lead Consultant
As Lead Consultant, Mohammed engages with our international interfaith partners, including supporting Al Qurm's work with the Abrahamic Family House and the Forum for Peace. He is completing his PhD in Muslim-Jewish Relations at Cambridge, and has several publications in the field. Outside academia, Mohammed has experience as an interfaith practitioner through his activities at the Woolf Institute. Mohammed is also Associate Fellow at the DCDC (UK Ministry of Defence), CEO of MAUR, a charity that educates youth about Islam and British Values, and Director of Upton Training, an educational and training centre.
Lucy Rouse
Digital Communications Lead
Lucy is the Digital Comms Lead for Good Faith Partnership and Warm Welcome UK. With a background in journalism, Lucy has 30 years of experience in the communications industries. Lucy is passionate about working for organisations that make a positive difference to people’s lives. She has worked in comms for arts organisations, inspiring people through the performing arts, and for charities including the landmine clearance charity The Halo Trust, as well as the news organisations ITN and Channel 4 News.
Our Associates
We work with a group of specialist associates from around the world who bring value and expertise across our projects in their own specific areas.
Steve Coles
Steve’s expertise is in creating, measuring and increasing social impact in social enterprises and charities, particularly in the areas of homelessness, health and addiction. Prior to joining GFP, Steve was CEO of Spitalfields Crypt Trust, where he launched a Housing First project in partnership with the NHS. He has an MBA from Imperial College, is a Non-Executive Director of Compass Wellbeing CIC and has held various trustee roles.
Andrew Dixon
Andrew is a policy and advocacy specialist. He works with charities and not-for-profits to help them build their influence through developing their ideas and narratives, their relationships and networks, and their communications. He has previously led the policy and public affairs work of a high-profile trade association and a leading social integration charity. He is particularly interested in projects with a focus on community, relationships and civic voice.
Elizabeth Harris-Sawczenko
Elizabeth served as Director at the Council of Christians and Jews and has led a number of other charities and NGOs. Elizabeth has extensive knowledge and experience of working with UK parliamentarians, civil servants, EU and UN bodies, diplomats and faith communities. Elizabeth also worked for many years in the Middle East. She is a recent recipient of the Archbishop of Canterbury's Humbert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith and her contribution to faith communities has also been acknowledged by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Stefania Knecht, PhD
Stefania’s expertise is religious peacebuilding, and she has experience in refugee relief and emergency response. Her research has previously centred on Polish-Ukrainian relations, and she has since been involved in the coordination of Welcome Hubs for Ukrainian refugees in Bristol. She is a mother and wife, loves reading and, having lived in seven countries so far, has a particular interest in cross-cultural dynamics.
Dominic Llewellyn
Dominic works with non-profits to help them maximise impact and diversity revenue by building the best partnerships across sectors. Over the past 15 years, he has built revenue-generating, impact-focused and innovative partnerships worth over £700m that enable city-wide and nationwide transformation in the UK and internationally. He is a husband and father, and his hobbies include reading autobiographies, spending time with friends and watching most sports, especially football
Jehangir Malik
Jehangir is currently a Policy and Engagement Director at Mercy Mission UK, a UK community development organisation focusing on strengthening British Muslim civil society infrastructure.
Jehangir has been the CEO of various organisations including Muslim Aid and Director for Islamic Relief UK, focusing on faith-based humanitarian action and development. Jehangir was awarded an OBE in recognition of his 20 years of contribution to humanitarian causes and has served as a trustee on various boards including National Emergency Trust and Chair of Equality Steering Group. Jehangir has also served as a Commissioner on Birmingham Children’s Commission on tackling poverty in Birmingham.
Claire Mathys
Claire has over a decade of experience advising Ministers, MPs, Peers and not-for-profit organisations on policy and strategy at a very senior level. She was previously the principal adviser for the Liberal Democrats on housing and environment and is a former Director of Christians in Politics. She brings a rare combination of having worked both inside government as a civil servant and for an opposition party, and has seen how organisations can be most effective in making an impact.
Tim Pilkington
Tim has broad experience and has particular interests in projects that involve faith and social action. Prior to joining Good Faith, Tim was the CEO at World Vision UK and has engaged extensively at the most senior levels of Government and international bodies. Tim brings significant experience in a variety of complex contexts from consultancy at Arthur Andersen, to major international corporate with Shell to Cambridge University.