Meet the Good Practice Mentors team
Jennie
Jennie is one of the Good Practice Mentors from South Yorkshire Housing Association (SYHA). Jennie specialises in using co-production to highlight the voices of people who use services, and how to use strengths-based practice to get the most out of your conversations. Jennie is passionate about creating space for people to share their stories and loves a good old bus stop chat! She is a firm believer in the power of the everyday interaction, and the positive impact it has on our mental health and wellbeing. In her spare time she loves running up hills in the Peak District.
Vicky
Vicky is also a Good Practice Mentor from SYHA. Vicky co-created the Stronger Together Co-production Toolkit with over 60 Ageing Better partnership representatives, and has a passion for advocating for the value of lived experience – and a wealth of knowledge to share. An interesting fact about Vicky is that she is a mindfulness teacher, and has also recently re-located to sunny Spain!
Jo
Jo is the Good Practice Mentor from Age UK Camden. As a mentor, Jo shares learning around how to reach the people that consider groups, activities and services to be ‘not for me’. Jo also makes photographs using early 19th century printing processes and has a fully kitted out darkroom at home!
Jessica
Jessica is the Good Practice Mentor from Leeds Older People’s Forum. Part of Jessica’s specialism is around supporting grassroot organisations to create a ‘warm welcome’ to older people who attend community groups. Jessica worked setting up friendship groups for nature reserves and parks for many years – mostly with older people.
Simon
Simon is the Good Practice Mentor from Torbay Communities. He specialises in developing strength and relationship based eco-systems of support within local communities, sharing learning from ten years of working with communities to enable them to flourish with the support of organisations. Simon says “when we value the contributions of the people, we build lasting positive change.”
Bluebell
Bluebell is the Programme Coordinator for the Good Practice Mentor programme, based at South Yorkshire Housing Association. She was involved in the delivery of the Age Better in Sheffield project and is thrilled to be supporting the partners to share the learning from the national Ageing Better programme. In her free time, Bluebell loves exploring the countryside and wild swimming.
