Experience

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During 2025 I’ve worked with the following:

Training: SWIDN; The Brightwell; Real Photography Company; Arkbound Foundation; realifeLearning; Good Things Gifts; Bath City Farm; Mamas Bristol.

Coaching / Mentoring: The Community Pottery; Lyra Festival; Better Bilingual; Batch Cook Club; Ubuntu Play Therapy; Share Bristol; The Hive Avon; One Green Kitchen; Noods Levels; Lush Greens; Win the Day; In Between Time; C-CBED; Conversation Works; Alive Activities; The Bristol Cable; SWIDN.

Group Peer Coaching: Music for Miniatures; Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust; Wesport; YMCA Brunel Group.

Business Strategy and Development: Lifeskills; Filwood Community Centre; OT Outdoors; A Single Thread.

Facilitation including Board, Staff and Volunteers Strategy days: Youth Connect South West; Better Bilingual; Step and Stone; WENP; Bristol Co-operative Gym; Heart of BS13.

Community Business / Project Management

The Community Farm: establishing and delivering a project to set up a community-owned social enterprise (CBS) to provide a sustainable model of farming. Responsible for strategic development and leading overview of the project as well as marketing, fundraising, member relationships, partnership working, community engagement, working directly to the Board. 

Red Brick Building: managing a social enterprise (CBS) delivering events, arts, office and hot desking space, hire spaces with a focus on community, arts, education and enterprise. Supporting new businesses and working towards financial sustainability through revenue generation. Raising funds through grants. 

Buzz Lockleaze: managing a social enterprise (CIC) setting up and opening of a Community food shop and Café in a deprived area of Bristol. Managing an employability project, enterprise hub and small grants scheme.  

Window Wanderland: Coordinating award-winning project, which provides tool kits for communities around the world to set up their own magical illuminated art trails at any time of the year. Coordinating award-winning project, which provides tool kits for communities around the world to set up their own magical illuminated art trails at any time of the year.

Training

School for Social Entrepreneurs: Learning manager / facilitator for various programmes including Community Business Trade Up, Social Economy West, Trade Up and Start Up courses.

Alison is both incredibly knowledgeable, experienced & skilled as a community and social business advisor, leader and facilitator. We have now worked together on many projects and events, she is a pleasure to work with, always supportive, efficient, easy going but professional and eager to find collaborative solutions. I would highly recommend her to support your business. She is also brilliant at leading Action Learning Sets, if you want an outside facilitator to help your team become unstuck and find their own solutions to the many challenges they face.

Traci Lewis, Sustain-Live and Catalyse Change

Alison has a deep understanding of how social enterprises and community businesses work, and is thorough, conscientious and always a pleasure to work with.

Michelle Virgo, Dartington School for Social Entrepreneurs