Andrew joined London Funders as a trustee in 2015. Andrew has worked in local government and the voluntary sector for many years. After starting work in market research, he has worked in homelessness assessment and estate management for Southwark Council. This was followed by advice work for Lambeth Council and delivering specialist welfare rights training and consultancy for Citizens Advice in their London Regional Office. Andrew returned to Southwark as a Community Legal Services Partnership Manager and now manages a team of commissioners in Community Engagement with responsibility for a range of funding programmes – Community Capacity grants, Tenant Fund, Advice Service contracts, CVS, Healthwatch, Black History Month, Joint Security Initiative and NHS Complaints Advocacy.
Andrew is a mentor and life coach. He was Chair of Brixton Housing Coop from 2007-2012 and was a longstanding volunteer on London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard.
Andrew is chair of the London Borough Grants Officers Forum through which local authorities share knowledge, strengthen networks and London Councils report on the pan-London grants programme. As a trustee, he brings Southwark Council/local government insight to the great work that London Funders lead on.
Ask Andrew about: Listening. Understanding who does what. Watching the cycles go round. Building relationships with partners to strengthen community voice and input, putting community infrastructure and services at the heart of commissioning, maintaining a safety net for communities and making the Public Sector Equality Duty stand for all sections of the population. Policy development and co-production of grant programmes and commissioned services to meet community need in Southwark and across London. These include community grants, legal advice services, equalities grants, Healthwatch, CVS Infrastructure and advocacy services.
Andrew's hidden London gem is: the shared green space that is the communal garden in the LGBTQ community on Railton Road, part of Brixton Housing Coop. The pocket parks of Southwark’s housing estates.
Andy's photo is taken by Garry Carbon.