Who I like to work withThis section is about a number of people with whom I like to work as associate consultants.
David Wilcox, Social reporter
After working as a journalist in the 1970s, David pioneered the development of local public and private community partnerships in the 1980s, and worked on many early programmes to promote and support community-based regeneration. Over the past 10 years he has added the use of social technology to his communication and facilitation skills, and now uses a mix of media to help people develop their own stories and conversations for collaboration.
David has written several books in the field and makes his work and techniques freely available online at
http://www.partnerships.org.uk
http://www.designingforcivilsociety.org
http://socialreporter.com
Linda Constable
Linda Constable is a library and information consultant and has worked in the cultural sector for over 30 years with strategic management experience at a regional and local authority level. Linda has a particular interest in community engagement, staff development and IT with a focus on developing and transforming services in partnership with staff and users. Linda is Vice Chair Chartered Institute of Library and Information (CILIP) Community Services Group and Chair of CILIP Libraries Change Lives Judging Panel. Linda is also an NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) Practitioner.
Linda has worked as a Local Level Associate on the MLA Local Living Library Project working with local authorities in Bournemouth, Bradford, Kent and Staffordshire. Local Living Library is now attracting interest from other library authorities in the UK as an innovative way of connecting with diverse and intercultural local communities. Email: linda(at)lindaconstable.com.
Martin Dudley, Research and Innovation Services
 After training in academic and government libraries, Martin worked in public libraries in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Hertfordshire. He was responsible for ICT and service development over 20 years; public relations; and conducted research into a wide range of service oriented library issues. He was a member of the former Library and Information Commisson's Research Committee.
As a Parish Councillor, in 1995 he established Standon Parish Electronic Centre. Based in a village in rural Hertfordshire, the centre offered access and training on ICTs, work space, local information services, and acted as the office of the Parish Council. In 1997 he left local government, and established Research and Innovation Services.
His recent work has included management support, evaluation, and research around the issues of community cohesion, learning, ICT access and regeneration in both urban and rural areas. He is currently working as a volunteer with a village scheme to restore the civic and environmental value of public and private spaces.
Giles Lane, Proboscis
 Giles Lane is co-director and founder of Proboscis, a non-profit creative studio based in London. Giles leads Proboscis' research programme, SoMa (Social Matrices), as well as specific projects and activities such as Urban Tapestries; Mapping Perception; Private Reveries, Public Spaces; Peer2Peer; DIFFUSION eBooks and others.
He is currently an Associate Research Fellow in Media & Communications at the London School of Economics (LSE). Previously, Giles was a Research Fellow at the Royal College of Art (1998-2002).
http://proboscis.org.uk/
Aydin Mehmet Ali
 Aydin Mehmet Ali is an international education consultant, author and trainer and lives in London. She specialises in multiculturalism, bilingualism and equalities work with the Turkish Speaking Communities (TSCs), women, and young people.
As a well-known peace campaigner she uses the arts in conflict resolution work amongst Cypriot communities. Until recently she was advisor to the London Mayor and Chair of Hackney Action for Racial Equality. She has set up and managed a large number of empowering projects as an intellectual activist over the last 30 years and has been an evaluator and project-monitoring officer for international projects.
Aydin's most recent research includes the impact of September 11 on the TSCs in London. Her book, Turkish speaking communities and education: no delight (2001) has been highly praised. She is the editor/translator of Turkish Cypriot Identity in Literature. She set up FATAL (For the Advancement of Turkish-speakers Arts and Literature) a London-based NGO, which organises arts and literature festivals, events and workshops.
Aydin was project manager of three highly successful projects completed in November 2003, in Cyprus, including a children's photographic project in a mixed village and a Family Cycling Day, which crossed the borders: both attracted wide media coverage.
She is one of the winners of the 2002 London New Writing Competition organised by London Arts and her short stories and poetry translations have appeared in numerous publications and anthologies. Pink Butterflies / Bize Dair, a collection of Aydin's short stories and her sister's poems - the story of two sisters separated by wars and part of the Cypriot Diaspora - is now published and available from fatal@freezone.co.uk
Catherine Herman
Catherine Herman is an independent consultant with a background in information, education and health, and experience of working at national and local level in the statutory, voluntary and community sectors. Catherine is an associate consultant with Community Development Foundation, the University for Industry and the Black Training and Enterprise Group. Catherine is a non-executive director of Haringey Teaching Primary Care Trust, which has a clear focus on tackling inequalities and community engagement. She is a member of the management committee of Collage Arts, based in Haringey, a social action organisation with a focus on creative arts and community.
Examples of relevant consultancy work include:
 | Consultant to the Learning and Access team (at MLA) working with the regions to co-ordinate and evaluate a national cultural diversity festival. | | Consultant for the Research Centre for Museums and Galleries, University of Leicester working on:
| 1 | the Learning Impact Research Project that piloted a range of methods to generate evidence of the impact of learning in the 'informal' activities of libraries and museums and archives | | 2 | the Books Connect project to develop new creative partnerships between libraries, museums and arts with a focus on reading and literacy | | 3 | the Audience Advocates professional development project for Museums Libraries and Archives with a focus on learning and advocacy in two regions - the East Midlands and the North West |
| | the Audience Advocates professional development project for Museums Libraries and Archives with a focus on learning and advocacy in two regions - the East Midlands and the North West. | | Developing and delivering an Active Citizenship Programme for Ocean, New Deal for Communities in Tower Hamlets. This involved a six week training programme for residents of the Ocean estate in developing as community champions and community leadership. | | Facilitation of the Kensington and Chelsea Partnership's Community Strategy Sub-Group meeting to plan consultation for the Community Strategy. | | Work with the 1990 Trust on a project based on consultation and a participative approach to the use and development of information and communication technologies for black and minority ethnic groups. | | Work with Mental Health Media on project conceptualisation and development to enable mental health service users/groups to develop local networks and capacity to tackle stigma and discrimination. | | Facilitation of workshops and events on social exclusion and health for CILIP. | | Organising a consultation process and facilitating workshops to research into the development of NHS Direct Online to better meet the information and learning needs of black and minority ethnic groups. |
Contact: catherineherman@yahoo.com
Jan Steyaert
 How does technology relate to social quality? Does technological progress synchronise with human development? Those are probably the themes of my work for the past twenty years, and they still remain highly intriguing and challenging.
I am professor of 'Social infrastructure and technology' at the Fontys university of professional education in Eindhoven (the Netherlands) and research fellow at University of Bath, UK. I have published a fair amount on the application of technology in human services as well as on the dynamics between technology and social quality of society. My work focuses on research and development projects for local agencies, local and national government (city of Eindhoven, Dutch ministry of welfare, ministry of the interior, ministry of housing, ministry of economy) and international work for the European Commission.
My publications can be downloaded from http://www.fontys.nl/ and http://www.steyaert.org/Jan/
Woody Kitson
 Woody is the designer behind the Local level website and graphics. Where technology meets creativity - this is the area that he loves to work in. Designing and developing original websites and systems that are functional, usable, compliant . . . and easy on the eye.
My time working with Kevin and getting to know what Local Level is all about, has been both demanding and rewarding.
You can browse my digital design portfolio and web services at e-Kit.co.uk
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