Meet the Operations Team at SUSTAiN

Charles Rapson

Charles is the Operations Manager for SUSTAiN and comes from a background of 30 years in industry, working in Marketing and Project Management. Charles joined the project back in July 2006 when he was asked to come in and do a 'few days work'.

As Charles sees it, the objectives of SUSTAiN are simple. Every voluntary and Community group needs the same basic things:

• Accommodation - somewhere to do what you do

• Money - the funding that lets you do it, not just today but into the future

• People - staff and/or volunteers that will do the work

• Skills & Training - providing staff and volunteers and trustees with the tools to do the job.

• ICT - the modern tools to do the job with

• Management (aka Governance) - not people in suits but the right structure to make sure you are doing things as well as you can, as safely as you can and that staff and volunteers are supported.

• Support - those things that lots of groups need that makes more sense if one organisation provides a service.

• Networks - others like you that you can turn to for support, advice and to work together

Getting these things is the hard part but that is what SUSTAiN is here to do.

Manjit Johal

Manjit is SUSTAiN's Community Development Officer and is here to offer support, advice, guidance and signposting on areas such as management, governance, quality standards and promoting best practice.

Manjit is also your contact for volunteering opportunities, so if you have any vacancies, please get in touch!

Manjit has worked in various supporting roles, within the community, public sector and offering one-to-one support.

Martin Clarke

Martin, SUSTAiN’s Business Advisor, has 30 years’ experience in industry working primarily in Sales, Marketing and Business Development functions. These roles were primarily in companies trading in engineering and electronics manufacturing and business to business sales, ranging from a privately owned business to a global corporation. Martin is also a trustee of a local charity.

At SUSTAiN, Martin will be drawing on his extensive experience in the private sector to develop support for voluntary and community organisations from local businesses through the Corporate Social Responsibility agenda.

Jayne Scarman

Jayne is leading on Marketing, PR and Communications for SUSTAiN. Passionate about making a difference, Jayne’s central concern is to help voluntary and community organisations communicate more effectively.

Before joining SUSTAiN, Jayne managed electronic communications at Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust. Her background in the health service puts her in a good position to make positive links between the public and voluntary sectors in Solihull, with the aim of creating partnerships that make a real difference to our local community.

Jayne is on hand to offer practical advice, information and guidance on all aspects of PR and Marketing for your organisation.

Gulbag Singh

Gulbag is SUSTAiN’s Community Cohesion Manager. His role is to raise awareness of equality and diversity issues in Solihull and to support local voluntary and community organisations with recognising and including marginalised groups and individuals.

Gul has an extensive background in the community sector, both in his working life and as a volunteer chair of local committees. Originally from the North-East, Gul has worked in advice and guidance roles, and has delivered training in cultural and religious awareness. He has a specific interest in the impact of culture among older people.

Now at SUSTAiN, Gul hopes to help Solihull acknowledge and understand the different cultures within the borough, with the ultimate aim for us to go forward as a collective and unified community.