Staff
Rhyl City Strategy Team
Gareth Matthews MBA • Director
info@rhylcitystrategy.co.uk01745 343605
Gareth became Director of Rhyl City Strategy in 2006, having secured city strategy status for Rhyl, resulting in over £6m of regeneration funding being invested in the town. Gareth is the Regional Director, Wales and Chief Operating Officer, Serco Welfare, Director of Rhyl City Strategy and Director Mid Glamorgan and Powys Careers Service. Gareth has over 30 years experience of working in Welfare to Work, including a number of regional appointments with Jobcentre Plus. In 2000 Gareth became Executive Director, Working Links, Wales, developing innovative solutions to the problem of long-term unemployment, including Job Match, Employment Zones and Action Teams. In 2009 Gareth was appointed as Serco’s Director, Welfare to Work in Wales, recently adding the role of Chief Operating Officer to his portfolio. Gareth considers his greatest achievement to be the 26,000 people he has helped into work over in the last 10 years.
Alison Thomas • Project Manager
alison.thomas@rhylcitystrategy.co.uk01745 343605
Ali joined Rhyl City Strategy as Programme Manager in August 2007. She previously worked for Conwy Council’s Housing Services Department as Coordinator for Community Development and Tenant Participation across the County’s housing stock. Prior to this, Ali has had various roles within a range of voluntary sector organisations, including Refuge Support Worker with Bangor and Colwyn Women’s Aid, Housing Advisor with the Oxford Housing Rights Centre, and Resettlement Officer with Refugee Action. Ali is a modern languages graduate from the University College of North Wales, Bangor, and also has a Diploma in Mandarin Chinese from Ealing College, London.
Jennie Walker • Community Worker
Jennifer.walker@rhylcitystrategy.co.uk01745 343605
Jennie joined the Rhyl City Strategy team in August 2007. After graduating from Bangor University with an English Degree and completing a PGCE (Postgraduate certificate in Education) in English and Music, Jennie became a youth worker In Rhyl. In 2002 Jennie moved to Liverpool where she worked as a Disabled and Deaf Young People’s Arts Development Co-ordinator running arts projects in a variety of settings and became the founder of the Disabled and Deaf Young People’s Talent Night as part of DaDaFest; the largest Disability and Deaf Arts Festival in the UK. Passionate about enabling people to reach their potential and having returned to Rhyl to live Jennie took up her current role within Rhyl City Strategy. She has completed a Postgraduate certificate in Community Development and is currently working towards the Diploma.
Jo Howes • Employer Liaison Coordinator
joanne.howes@rhylcitystrategy.co.uk01745 343605
Jo joined Rhyl City Strategy in December 2009 to cover maternity leave for the Community Coordinator post. After graduating from Manchester University in 2000 with a degree in Social Studies, Jo started her career working with people with mental health issues. Jo subsequently worked for six years with 'Working Links', helping to remove barriers for those finding it difficult securing work and for those furthest away from the labour market. Jo has moved to her current role from the post of Partnership Coordinator with Denbighshire’s Children and Young People's Partnership. Her current role sees her returning to a focus on the worklessness agenda.
Susan Jeffrey • Administration/Office Manager
susan.jeffrey@rhylcitystrategy.co.uk01745 343605
Susan joined Rhyl City Strategy at its inception in April 2007 as the Programme Administrator. Prior to joining Rhyl City Strategy, Susan was Administrator for Rhyl Business Group. She is currently working towards NVQ Level 5 Management and Leadership, through Llandrillo College’s Work Based Learning programme. Susan is hoping to gain a qualification in Human Resource Management during 2011/12.
Carl Gizzi • Admin Assistant
carl.gizzi@rhylcitystrategy.co.uk01745343605
Carl Joined Rhyl City Stratagy as the administrator for the ILM project in July 2011. He has over 10 years experience in working in administration and accounting positions and has the AAT Technician qualification. He has previously worked at Denbighshire County Council in a similar position. Carl is looking forward to bringing his skills to the ILM project.
Future Jobs Team
Fit For Work Service
Bridgette Handley • Fit For Work Manager
Bridgette.handley@rhylcitystrategy.co.uk01745 369561
Bridgette joined Rhyl City Strategy as Future Jobs Fund Coordinator in November 2009 then went onto to Manage Fit for Work in November 2010. She was previously self-employed for 8 years running Zeta Training & Development offering corporate management, IT and personal development training. During this time Bridgette was also Project Manager of the Pink Pearls Project, a European Social Funded project designed to support unemployed, disadvantaged people to get back into work. Bridgette is passionate about helping people fulfil their potential through genuine work opportunities.
Eileen Higton • Development Manager
eileen.higton@rhylcitystrategy.co.uk01745 369561
Eileen joined Rhyl City Strategy as Partnership Development Manager for the Fit for Work Service in July 2010. Eileen previously worked for CAIS as the North Wales Development Officer for "The Centre" project which promoted workforce development of Substance Misuse Services in Wales. Immediately prior to her current role, Eileen worked for the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board as a Clinical Governance Officer dealing with complaints and incidents in Primary Care. Eileen has qualifications in Management and Project Management.
Paula Walsh • Case Manager
paula.walsh@rhylcitystrategy.co.uk01745 369561
Paula joined Rhyl City Strategy in April 2010 as Case Manager for the Fit for Work Service. Paula has extensive experience of providing employability support to help people return to work. She previously worked for Jobcentre Plus in Liverpool before moving to North Wales, where she has worked with the Department for Work and Pensions on the Incapacity Benefit section, with Working Links on the New Deal for Disabled People, and with more recently with A4e on their Pathways programme. Paula holds NVQs level 2 and 3 in Counselling.
Mark Sanders • Case Manager
Mark.sanders@rhylcitystrategy.co.uk01745 369561
Mark joined Rhyl City Strategy in April 2010 as Case Manager for the Fit for Work Service. Mark previously worked for Working Links for five years as a New Deal for Disabled People Consultant and as a Pathways Adviser helping people find and sustain work. Prior to this, Mark worked for thirteen years in different departments within the Department for Work and Pensions, including the Incapacity Benefit and Social Fund sections. In an earlier life, Mark worked in a zoo, and amongst many duties used to feed the sealions!
Graeme Johnson • Case Manager
graeme.johnson@rhylcitystrategy.co.uk01745 369561
Graeme joined Rhyl City Strategy in March 2010 as Case Manager for the Fit for Work Service. Graeme has a background of working in the private and voluntary sectors. In 2005 Graeme worked for a private care company that specialised in working with young people that display harmful and complex behaviours. In 2007 Graeme joined Weston Spirit, a national youth work charity founded by Falklands War veteran Simon Weston. During this time Graeme developed a variety of new projects that ranged from setting up peer mentoring schemes in schools to running residential courses for young people on the edge of becoming socially excluded. In his spare time Graeme works with a number of community projects in the Colwyn Bay area promoting community cohesion.
Lloyd Beattie • Administrator
lloyd.beattie@rhylcitystrategy.co.uk01745 369561
Lloyd joined Rhyl City Strategy as the Fit for Work Service Administrator in June 2010. Lloyd is 22 years old and a former Prestatyn High School student who achieved A Levels after staying on at Sixth Form. After leaving school, Lloyd worked as a lifeguard for four years. After a shortage of work, Lloyd enrolled onto the Future Jobs Fund scheme, where he worked for BTCV and Denbighshire County Council and was trained in all aspects of administration, thus enabling him to apply for a role with Rhyl City Strategy's Fit for Work Service. Lloyd says he feels he owes a lot to Rhyl City Strategy and can prove this by helping others in the community through the services Rhyl City Strategy provides.
