Hi Jay, hope you're ok. Can you paint a portrait for us of yourself and your role?

Raised in the dodgy parts of South London during the 70s and 80s, I was shaped by a community steeped in compassion and altruism. After university - including an Erasmus stint in Amsterdam exploring the politics of racism - I began a 25-year journey in the voluntary sector, focused on transforming services and policies for families with complex needs.

Today, I’m proud to lead The Birchall Trust as CEO, working across Cumbria and Lancashire. The road ahead is bold and urgent: forging powerful partnerships to prevent rape, sexual abuse and violence. Together, we’re aiming to build safer, more resilient communities- one step, one voice, one survivor at a time.

What does a typical working day look like for you?

No two days are the same - each brings a dynamic mix of responding to emerging challenges, travelling between sites and engaging with new stakeholders. While a strong work ethic is essential, I’ve learned sustainable leadership requires prioritising reflective dialogue and strategic planning. Time is a finite resource and effective decision-making depends on clarity and foresight.

I also believe in leading by example, so I make space daily for movement and mindful breaks. Practising self-care isn’t a luxury - it’s a leadership imperative that helps me stay grounded, energised and fully present for the people and communities we serve.

What motivates you to do what you do?

It's not hard to be motivated when you are proud to work with such fantastic and passionate people who achieve such incredible outcomes for the people who use our services.

Even when the day is overtaken by reacting to crisis, I try to make time to read feedback from clients to remind myself why we are here. Finally, as a single father to two young women I am determined to make the world a safer place.

What is/has been your favourite aspect of being part of the collaborative community through the Health Innovation Campus?

Working in the tranquil environment of the Business Lounge with a background buzz of people sharing ideas is a particular pleasure. A great vibe of creativity is complemented by the availability of training and meeting rooms that have helped us to collaborate with external specialist agencies to create new referral pathways (e.g. LGBTQ Lancashire) and consider long-term business plans, for example working with the Police and Crime Commissioner.

We have explored lots of different opportunities for collaboration with academics and University staff and are excited about how we can incorporate them into our plans for future work.

What future projects and collaborations are you excited about?

We are currently hosting a MSC Student on placement from the Psychology Behavioural Analytics Course to analyse the impact of our work. This is the first year of placements for this new course and we look forward to welcoming more in future years. We're also excited to start a round of recruitment taking on student volunteers to help us deliver our recovery and community education services.

Finally, (whilst subject to funding) we are keen to explore more opportunities to look at how we work with schools as demand for training from teachers on managing misogyny and harmful sexual behaviours continues to rise.