Our staff
Meet the team!
Sharon Palmer
Chief Executive
Previously having worked for Save the Children Fund and on development issues both home and abroad. My previous experiences have given me a zest for life, so I can often be found dodging motorists on my bicycle, working in the jungles of my garden or battling for some good cause or other.
Telephone: 0121 359 9108
Email: sharonp@rawm.co.uk
Kate Gordon
Policy and Strategy Manager
Kate worked as the Training & Information Officer for the West Midlands Low Pay Unit from 1992 until it closed in 2005. She managed Smethwick Citizens Advice Bureau before joining the LPU, and did a variety of jobs before joining RAWM. Kate’s role at RAWM involves looking at broad themes such as profiling the voluntary and community sector, and specific issues such as the advice sector.
Telephone: 0121 359 9114
Email: katherineg@rawm.co.uk
Simon Hackett
Policy Officer
Simon comes to RAWM from several years of support work to Tom Watson, MP for West Bromwich East. Prior to that Simon’s experience included
managing a local Citizens Advice Bureau. Simon will be covering a number of policy areas including the learning agenda, resilience, city-region amongst others.
Telephone: 0121 359 9115
Email: simonh@rawm.co.uk
Surinder Singh
Project Manager, West Midlands Regional Empowerment Partnership
Surinder has been working in the sector for the last five years in numerous capacity building and business development roles. Having graduated from City University London in Business Law he worked as Senior Migration Officer at the Australian Embassy in London before spending a year living in Australia. On his return to the West Midlands he has worked in the sector developing frontline community organisations as well as assisting local infrastructure organisations to develop their skills and programmes.
Telephone: 0121 359 9100
Email: surinders@rawm.co.uk
Sandeep Saprai
Project Manager, Destination: West Midlands
Stepping in to the D:WM Project Manager role in July 2008, Sandeep arrives with a broad experience base through a variety of voluntary sector roles over the last 6 years; her most recent being at Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC) as Active Citizenship and Volunteer Centre Coordinator. Sandeep’s role at RAWM involves the delivery of D:WM’s infrastructure strategy and the coordination of the work of the partnership and its sub-groups.
Telephone: 0121 359 9113
Email: sandeeps@rawm.co.uk
Helen Phillips
Support Services Coordinator
Previously Administrator for Birmingham Voluntary Service Council’s SRB4 Team. My post with RAWM requires me to oversee the general administrative requirements of the team. It is a varied and demanding job which I enjoy, as well as working with a good team. In my all-too-rare spare time I am an enthusiastic, if inexpert, student of Yoga. I find it mentally and physically relaxing, and a great aid to restful sleep – but obviously not in the office!
Telephone: 0121 359 9106
Email: helenp@rawm.co.uk
Matt Bullock
Support Services Projects
Having graduated with a BA Politics (Hons) from the University of Liverpool in 2005, I travelled extensively around Europe, interspersed with various jobs. I moved to Birmingham in Spring 2007 and have been at RAWM since Summer 2007. I signed a permanent contract in March 2008 and my new job role primarily involves supporting RAWM’s Policy and Strategy team.
Telephone: 0121 359 9110
Email: mattb@rawm.co.uk
Rukhsana Kosar
Support Services Administrator
Previously having worked for Housing Department in repairs and maintenance division dealing with tenants repairs enquiries. My role is to provide administrative support and associated services to support the work of RAWM and its staff.
Telephone: 0121 359 9111
Email: rukhsanak@rawm.co.uk
Julie Mackenzie
Financial Services Manager
I am a Chartered Accountant who escaped from practice work and into the VCS five and a half years ago, when I worked for the National Evaluation of the Children’s Fund at the University of Birmingham. My work at RAWM includes all aspects of finance, from long term financial forecasting and business planning to payroll and day to day ledger work. I work 3 days a week and spend the rest of the time chasing my family around.
Telephone: 0121 359 9112
Email: juliem@rawm.co.uk
Bhagwant Singh
Accounts Assistant
Telephone: 0121 359 9116
Email: bhagwants@rawm.co.uk
Sian McClure
Information and Communications Coordinator
My job is to use and develop information and communications systems to ensure information and knowledge is shared effectively within RAWM and across the voluntary and community sector, and its regional partners in the West Midlands.
Telephone: 0121 359 9181
Email:sianm@rawm.co.uk
Hardeep Singh
Information Officer
Previously working for Birmingham Voluntary Services Council (BVSC) with the VCS Matters team and the Connexions Voluntary Sector team, I coordinated the Birmingham & Solihull Connexions Voluntary Sector Forum. My role at RAWM is to process and disseminate relevant regional information to the West Midlands voluntary and community sector and RAWM’s stakeholders; which includes the production of a quarterly glossy newsletter, a quarterly briefing, a monthly email-bulletin and regularly updating the RAWM website.
Telephone: 0121 359 9117
Email: hardeeps@rawm.co.uk