Rachel Cooper
Rachel is the Chief Executive Officer of Leeds Older People's Forum
Rachel joined LOPF in 2009, becoming Chief Executive in 2015. She has been involved in the Forum’s key achievements, which include; advocating important member issues such as hospital discharge and housing; establishing a 130+ member strong alliance of Dementia Friendly organisations, and attracting 6m in funding to the city to tackle social isolation and loneliness.
Rachel is most proud of LOPF being an organization that truly puts older people at the heart of all of its work.
Rachel’s scariest moment was leading a 60 strong flash (dance) mob of older people doing a hand jive to ‘We Love to Boogie’ by T-Rex in Leeds’ Victoria Quarter to raise awareness of Age Friendly issues.
Lucy Graham
Lucy is the PSI-Volition Director
Lucy brings a variety of experience to the role of Director, having worked and volunteered in numerous third sector organisations big and small, both locally and in her native Northern Ireland.
Most recently, she lead a team in a start-up social enterprise, focusing on providing sustainable employment for people with mental health difficulties.
With a degree in Law and MSc in Psychology, Lucy feels strongly about human rights, equality and inclusion, and is passionate about better mental health for all.
Outside of work, Lucy enjoys exploring Leeds’ diverse culinary offerings – as with many adopted Yorkshire folk, she has a particular soft spot for a good pie!
Jez Coram
Development Worker for Learning Disabilities
Jez is the Development Worker for Learning Disabilities.
Jez joined Forum Central in September 2019. He has worked directly with people with learning disabilities for nine years in the third sector in Leeds, recently in project research and development, project co-ordination, and as a multi-media designer.
Over the years he has learnt a lot from the staff and volunteers with learning disabilities he has co-worked with. His role at Forum Central will be to build on the great work that has already been done and connect with member organisations, passing information between members and statutory services in a format members can understand, encouraging partnership working and helping to make sure people with learning disabilities voices, views and experiences are heard and are key to strategy and commissioning in the city.
Through his varied projects Jez has built a good understanding of the variety of discriminations faced by people with learning disabilities. He is happy to be a part of the forum central team and looking forward to learning from and working with the member organisations to help them engage with the Being Me strategy for Leeds and build on its inclusivity as a city.
When not at Forum Central Jez is usually, either with his family and dog, or watching Netflix.
Karen Fenton
Karen is the Development Worker for the Physical and Sensory Impairment and Mental Health Network.
Karen joined Forum Central in August 2019. She has a wide range of experience working in both statutory and third sector health organisations across the city for over 10 years in roles relating to involvement, community engagement, social marketing and membership within mental health, learning disability and cancer services.
Karens formal qualifications include a degree in Marketing and Events and an Msc in Health and Social Care Management. Many moons ago Karen also ran a successful children’s party business and still enjoys a good Hokey Cokey.
Leeds born and bred, having moved around and settled back home, she is very passionate about the city, the people who live here and is enthusiastic to be part of the Forum Central team, playing a small part in contributing to addressing health inequalities and increasing wellbeing for all.
When not at work Karen enjoys spending as much time as possible outside exploring with her nearest and dearest.
Sean Tunnicliffe
Sean is the communications Officer at Leeds Older People’s Forum (LOPF)
His role includes communications, admin and office management for LOPF and Forum Central
He enjoys the wide variety of his role which covers things like designing reports and documents, organising meetings, putting together ebulletins, writing blogs, updating the Forum Central and LOPF websites and social media and making sure that the office never runs out of milk.
He has worked in the third sector since 2001 first with Volition and then LOPF and is the longest serving member of the Forum Central team.
Previous to this Sean had mainly worked in horticulture and also had a spell managing a newsagent shop.
Jackie Simpson
Jackie is the Administration Officer for PSI-Volition and Tenfold
In addition to providing administrative support and day to day office management Jackie is also the first point of contact for Forum Central for anyone phoning or emailing the office.
She has worked in administrative roles and busy office environments for a number different third sector organisations and brings to Forum Central her organisational skills and experience of of managing office systems and developing and implementing administrative processes.
Jackie is friendly and approachable and has pursued a career in the 3rd sector in order to work with organisations that make a difference to people’s lives.
Pip Goff
Pip is the Third Sector and Community Local Care Partnerships (LCP) Development Manager
Pip Goff joined Forum Central in May 2019 as Third Sector and Community Local Care Partnerships (LCP) Development Manager to ensure that the third sector is fully engaged and represented in LCPs in order to reshape future health and care provision in Leeds.
She is based in the new citywide LCP Development Team, alongside a team of colleagues providing a support and resources to help LCPs develop as well and as quickly as possible.
Pip brings to the role extensive experience of partnership working and third sector innovation; a strong understanding of funding and how the sector can capture and articulate health outcomes and demonstrate social value; and a passion for addressing health inequalities.
A frequent cyclist, Pip would love to see improvements to Leeds’ transport so more people can live healthier lives and enjoys any excuse to be outside.