CAS – Community Action Southwark

Verinder is a non-practicing barrister. Her particular areas of interest are carers, criminology and ethnic minorities and the law.  Verinder is passionate about community and voluntary sector engagement in local decision making and she has carried out detailed research into the law of provocation and its implementation in relation to survivors of domestic violence.

Verinder is currently the CEO of Southwark Carers, a post she has held since October 2009.  Southwark Carers is a registered charity supporting carers that is affiliated to the Princess Royal Trust for Carers.  In her role as CEO, she is required to liaise with other voluntary and statutory sector partners in the Borough.

Prior to joining Southwark Carers, Verinder was the Borough Manager at Victim Support Brent from August 2005 to October 2009. Victim Support Brent is a registered charity that has been established in Brent since 1979. As Borough Manager she was the CEO for Victim Support Brent in addition she was also responsible for ensuring that victims of crime in the Borough receive emotional and practical support and that their concerns are raised at the relevant forums in the Borough.

In a voluntary capacity since 2006 until December 2010, Verinder has been the chair of the Brent Community Safety Board which identifies and prioritises local community and policing issues with the aim of community involvement and partnership working and critiquing practice to ensure decision making processes are inclusive, community led and accountable.

Verinder is Bi-lingual, in English and Punjabi

Viv is the founder and director of Divine Communications Trust (DCT), a social enterprise that creates education resources and programmes for children and young people. Her vision is to equip young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with the skills to improve their life chances.

She graduated in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing, worked within the financial and telecommunications industries for over 5 years, before going to Durham University Business School, and graduating with a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in 1996. After graduation, she worked in various freelance marketing roles within the Education, Utilities, Telecommunications, Entertainment, Financial and Automobile industries, gaining considerable experience.

In 2005 Viv took a sabbatical and volunteered with an organisation in Brooklyn, New York for almost 5 months working with inner-city children and young people; an experience that changed her life and inspired her to set up DCT.

Since then, she has created the Bina programme, a PSHE resource for Key Stage 3 pupils – created as a framework for teachers to talk about related issues within the context of nine themes – integrity, respect, dealing with disappointment, accountability, reliability, courage, determination, search for excellence, and loyalty.

Other programmes she has created include the Young Fathers Mentoring Scheme – matching young fathers with professional and/or business men to raise aspirations; and Shaping Attitudes for the workplace – supporting 16-19 year olds on how to manage their behaviour and relationships and in the workplace.

In her spare time Viv loves to read non-fiction and crime thrillers; watches football (a keen Manchester United supporter!), golf, tennis, snooker and athletics.

David Stock has lived and worked in Southwark for over twenty years. He started off in the voluntary sector as a volunteer and is now Chief Executive of SDA – Southwark Disablement Association. He has gained over fifteen years of management experience in the voluntary health and social care sector and is responsible for over seventy staff and volunteers providing benefits advice, advocacy, personalisation, befriending and domiciliary home care services to disabled people in Southwark.

The core belief of his work is that the rights, means and attitude to enable Disabled People to help themselves live independently and take part within the community at large must be championed at all levels.

He has been involved in the management of various Community and Voluntary Sector Support organisations over the years including VSCC, SAVO, SCCF and the emergence of CAS.

He wants to see CAS as the premier organisation in the voluntary and community sector providing responsive, appropriate, worthwhile, outcome focussed and cost effective support services to Voluntary and Community groups who in turn can support their members and thus benefit people throughout Southwark.

Les is a longstanding resident of Southwark. He has been involved in the local voluntary and community sector since 1966 and has previously been a senior local authority councillor in Southwark for 23 years.

He is currently involved in his local church and is Secretary of People Care Association charity which works with the elderly and runs a community transport service. He is also an Age Concern volunteer inspecting Adult Care Homes, a primary school governor and is active in local politics.

Les was a trustee of Southwark Community Care Forum since 1997 and as Chair steered the successful merger of SCCF with SAVO to form Community Action Southwark.

Les has a wide knowledge of the Southwark voluntary sector and experience of strategic management.

James was a Trustee of Southwark Action for Voluntary Organisations  (SAVO) for 5 years and steered the merger with Southwark Community Care Forum (SCCF) to become CAS.

James has  worked with the Commission for Racial Equality on Race issues affecting the Irish community in Britain and worked on the CRE Irish Equality Working Group in the late 90′s early 2000.  James also worked on deaths in custody campaigns and miscarriages of justice campaigns in the London area.

James is currently Chair of his local tenants association and has been elected onto the Tenants Council of Southwark, the representative body for tenants in Southwark.

I so believe in empowering local people to rise from their knee's and to believe in themselves and empower them to better their lives and the environment.

Beccy has been involved in the voluntary sector professionally for several years. She is experienced in managing performing arts organisations, with a focus on strategic development. She has coordinated theatrical projects in schools, theatres and outdoor venues nationwide.

As Creative Director of STEP (Southwark Theatres’ Education Partnership), Beccy has managed the strategic development of a local charity to take it from a fledgling organisation to one fully embedded in the community, playing an influential role in the arts and education sector in the borough. STEP coordinates an annual Festival of theatre and performing arts activities for young people together with a programme of events and projects throughout the year which works with young people and their teachers in school settings and provides more opportunities for young people to get involved in theatre activities in their local area in their free time.

Beccy has an in-depth knowledge of the education sector in the borough and the spread of theatre and arts practice. She regularly works directly with young people and feels able to express some of the most prominent youth agendas in the borough.

Helena has a good knowledge of Southwark and its services and communities as a resident, pupil, adult student and over 20 years in paid and voluntary work in the Peckham, Bermondsey, Dulwich and Elephant & Castle areas. She is passionate about education from cradle to the grave and making a positive impact upon lives and futures through a strong commitment to supporting and strengthening the individuals and organisations in the voluntary sector.

Currently studying with Open University for Masters Degree in Public Administration (MPA),s he has a long history of reviewing implementation of education policy at local authority level in England and Wales and is currently engaged in policy analysis and development discussions with the Metropolitan Police.