Steering Group

Who Are Our Steering Group?

They’re members who use their experiences, skills & knowledge of specific topics to help us make strategic decisions

Blackburn with Darwen Food Alliance - aiming to make good food accessible to all

Overseeing & Supporting Our Projects

To ensure that our work is aligned closely with the needs and priorities of our local community, our work is informed by our Food Alliance Steering Group which comprises representatives from our main work streams and partner organisations.

Steering Group Members

Charlotte Pickles

Public Health Specialist Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

Public health is the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities..

In BwD, we use national policies, regional and local data and community engagement to inform our work as we strive to reduce health inequalities and improve health outcomes for all. Within our Eat Well Move More Strategy, we are commitment to supporting a healthy, vibrant, equitable and more sustainable food environment for all and fully support the work of the Food Alliance in achieving this.

Tom Macpherson-Pope

Director of the Making Rooms

I run The Making Rooms, where we train and expose people to new creative & sustainability technologies, to improve residents’ wellbeing, job opportunities and explore their ideas.

I love to visit other creative hubs across Europe and bring back ways to engage our community with new ideas, especially around sustainable technologies such as biomaterials, plastic recycling, repair and urban agriculture. I was first exposed to this way of working at Fab Lab Manchester, and I’m so proud to see the positive effect we have had on our community members.

Dilwara Ali

Chief Officer, Blackburn with Darwen Healthy Living

BwD Healthy Living provide a wide range of service across the borough from Bill Busters (fuel poverty/debt), physical activity programmes, we have set up and deliver Food Larder, work with the borough on Trauma Informed and Oral Health and deliver some Youth work.

We work to make sure that resident voices are heard and help to address the issues and concerns strategically and from a community’s point of view.

Helen Southworth

Facilities Catering Manager for East Lancashire NHS Trust.

Garth Hodgkinson

Chief Executive Blackburn with Darwen Community CVS

Strong believer that communities should be at the heart of their own transformation. Proud Lancastrian. Keen advocate for inclusive sustainable growth and for the public, commercial and social economies working together to enable their local communities to create their own futures. Chair of Lancashire Association of CVSs (LACVS). Experience in setting up, growing and governing at board level new charities, social enterprises and public institutions.

Gwen Kinloch

Environment & Sustainability Manager with Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council.

My principle role is managing the Council’s response to the Climate Emergency.

Rhoda Wilkinson

Nature and Wellbeing Manager, Lancashire Wildlife Trust

I’ve been managing our Nature and Wellbeing work for several years now. Many people will have been and visited The Greenhouse Project in Witton Park that has grown from this. We firmly believe in not only the impotance of nature but the impact it can have on both on us as individuals and our communities. It’s really positive to see so many people in Blackburn and Darwen keen to work together and get excited about our future.

Fahima Iqbal

Universal Service Manager, Blackburn and Darwen Youth Zone

Blackburn and Darwen Youth Zone are embedded institution within the towns. Our state-of-the-art facilities enable all young people to come together, meet new people and participate in developmental activities, supporting young people with their skills and aspirations, health and well-being and social integration, levelling up by providing them with the same choices, quality of life, opportunities and aspirations.

With 4500 members, nearly a quarter of the Borough’s youth aged 8-19 years access our services. We deliver 1200 meaningful engagements weekly, with half of the young people from the top 10% poorest and most deprived communities in the country.

We are passionate advocates, for the children & young people of the Borough and their families.

Blackburn and Darwen Youth Zone are committed to support and collaborate with Blackburn and Darwen Food Alliance to meet the Boroughs wider strategic vision.