Staff
I am delighted to be joining the Sculpt team at this exciting time in the organisation’s development. The values of Sculpt align closely with my own, as I believe in local community-led solutions that start with the assets in that community and allow the marginalised to find their voice. I am also a passionate advocate for restorative justice – having seen the extraordinary power it has through my work in prisons. Restorative Justice can be such a life changing programme for so many victims and offenders, and I believe wholeheartedly in the values of dialogue and vulnerable, non-adversarial ways of managing conflict by which this is inspired.
I have over 15 years’ experience working in the voluntary sector, championing the causes of children, the elderly and victims of crime, homelessness and poverty, around the world – most recently working in a national role for The Salvation Army across the UK and Ireland. Before that I gained my PhD in International Relations from the University of Exeter; focusing on global social movements .
In my spare time I volunteer to support victims of human trafficking and sing with a London-based choir. I enjoy baking and following most sports and love walking in this amazing city, having recently completed the Capital Ring Walk around London.
Maija Linnala is Sculpt’s User Engagement Leader and Project Manager. She works to ensure that Sculpt remains true to its user-led mission. She currently leads on the development, delivery, monitoring, and appraisal of all Sculpt’s User Groups. She also leads on the management and delivery of local, national, and international projects and carries out qualitative and quantitative research and evaluations. In addition, Maija line manages a number of Sculpt’s volunteers and interns.
Maija has a wide range of experience in the field of public policy and working in the third sector. She has a particular interest in restorative justice and in evidence-based research and policymaking in the UK. Before joining Sculpt, Maija was working as a policy research assistant for her local MP and she gained experience in the areas of international affairs, economy, health and social care, education, environment, and rights and equalities. She has also worked in a multicultural centre supporting cultural identities and promoting integration. She is currently conducting user- and victim-led research. At Sculpt Maija wishes to contribute to the transparent debate on the rightful treatment of disadvantaged individuals in the field of human rights and policy.
Maija holds a BA degree in International Migration and Ethnic Relations by Malmö University, Sweden, and a MA degree in Public Policy and Practice by the University of Greenwich, UK. She is a native Finnish speaker and is fluent in both English and Swedish.
Desiree is a Psychologist with a MSc focused on Political Psychology from Queen’s University Belfast. She is a highly skilled researcher and project manager with +5 years of experience working with a number of think tanks and NGOs both in the UK and abroad. Skilled in data analytics, using qualitative and quantitative research methods. Desiree has combined her multidisciplinary knowledge to design, develop and manage local and pan-european projects while also making and influencing global, regional and national policy.
I'm Izzy, a recent linguistics graduate of Lancaster University. I'm currently working as the Fundraising and Partnership Development Officer with Jess! My degree has taught me that there is a lot of injustice, especially in language, and working for Sculpt has allowed me to work towards an equal society for all. I have experience in youth work so it is a key goal of mine to empower young people to feel confident and strive for success in whatever field they are passionate about. I also have experience in creative writing focussing on inequality for women and the female experience. So far my journey at Sculpt has been fun, rewarding as well as a welcome challenge!
Jessica is the Fundraising and Partnership Development Manager at Sculpt, responsible for generating Sculpt charitable income and leading on the development of external partnerships.
She has proven to be a purposeful, passionate and innovative manager within the non-profit sector, with a passion for helping people in need. With an MA in Conflict, Development and Security from Lancaster University, she has impressive experience of working within the charitable sector. Working physically within both the UK and the Middle East, she has worked across both programmes and partnership development. With a background in international relations research, and work within development NGOS, her expertise lies in strategic partnerships, particularly in the area of donor coordination and project management.
She has always worked at the grassroots level, believing in the true value of dialogue and understanding. Not only can her work on this be found published, but she has demonstrated this in all her professional roles – engaging with beneficiaries globally to understand true needs and demand. This is what attracted her to Sculpt. She is keen to ensure this value is reflected through both her role and work, particularly within the new Sculpt fundraising strategy.
Having previously seen first-hand the positive impact of her work, she is continually striving to achieve much more and now make a difference in more lives under the umbrella of Sculpt.
Youth Advisory Board
Volunteers
Trustees
Emily is a communications expert and has spent much of her career working in international development. She is now based in London following many years working overseas, including in Afghanistan and Tunisia. She currently works for the UK Cabinet Office overseeing communications projects. Prior to that she held media roles at UNICEF UK, the UK Prime Minister’s Office, and the UK’s Department for International Development.
Rossana is a Global Chartered Management Accountant with 20+ years-experience working in Fortune 100 corporations. In 2019, she left Coca-Cola after working there for 16 years in various finance capacities and in various countries around the world. At the same time she moved to London and decided to dedicate part of her time to giving back to a world that had given her so much. Rossana enjoys traveling around the world with her husband, exercising, is an avid reader and a self-described “podcast junkie”.
He is a director of and Group Compliance Officer for Legal Practice at Metamorph Group Limited, which he created to be a consolidator of existing high street law firms across England. His was a practicing solicitor for over 20 years before taking a more entrepreneurial and business-focused path. In addition, he has over 20 years of board level experience at several charities.
‘Scult focus on creating an evidence base to inform policy is ever more vital in a world increasingly obsessed with opinion alone. That, together with the emphasis on youth, justice and entrepreneurship, were major factors in me wanting to become involved.
The talented and dedicated team both of staff, now led by Claire, and Trustees are a pleasure to work with and an inspiration in terms of what can be achieved.’
Vanessa has 15 years of experience in programme management at the international level, having worked with the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, the European Commission in Brussels, and Save the Children in London, driving social impact, business development and shaping iNGO-private sector partnerships. Passionate about sustainability and about making a difference, she currently supports the transition to Net Zero at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Laura is originally from Australia and has been living in London for over 10 years now. Over the course of her career she has worked in the financial services sector, an industry that is known to be very male dominated. From here her passion for diversity and female empowerment grew and so did her involvement in supporting this cause. Over the years she has been involved with many charities as well as mentoring programmes supporting women and young people, while championing diversity, equality and inclusion.
Richard has lived in South London for the last 20 years. He is delighted to join the Board having just retired from the University of London where he led on Strategy, Planning, Performance and Risk. He brings extensive experience in these areas from a successful career in public sector management and consultancy with the Local Government Association, Local Authorities and the Audit Commission. At the University he was also involved in developing new partnership arrangements between academic institutions in London, Paris and the United States. He has a Masters in International Relations from Sussex University, is a passionate believer in international co-operation particularly at the civil society level and is active in pro-european movements.
Ruby has lived in London since childhood and is passionate about addressing social inequality to shape a fairer and more inclusive society. She has over 15 years experience in industry, ranging from medical to finance and settling in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability. Most recently, she led social responsibility strategy in Europe for a major energy company and led collaborations at key events such as the World Economic Forum and Conference of the Parties (COP). She is now pursuing further projects to encourage a more socially responsible and environmentally sustainable world. Ruby holds a BA in Business Management from the University of Westminster and a MSc in Global Governance and Public Policy from Birkbeck University. She has a strong belief in the power of education and is in constant pursuit of life-long learning.
