Meet The Team

Avril

After more than 10 years working in the banking and commercial sector, I began looking for a role within an organisation that was family-friendly and dedicated to enriching and improving the lives of others. I believe I found that and much more, when I joined the Charities Advisory Trust, where I have now worked for over 25 years.

  • Alongside my role as Finance Manager, I have greatly enjoyed supporting Dame Hilary Blume in developing the wide variety of projects the Trust has created over the years. These initiatives have not only improved lives, incomes, and health for many people around the world, but have also provided the first step onto the career ladder for hundreds of graduates.

    I have always had a passion for dressmaking and knitting and rediscovered my enthusiasm for knitting when Knit for Peace was founded. This renewed interest has also inspired me to teach others and inflict my creations on relatives.

    In addition to my work with the Trust, I volunteer at my church and community centre supporting activities such as the community café, exercise programmes, and the provision of a homeless shelter during the winter months.

David

I work at the intersection of social impact and governance and have supported The Charities Advisory Trust for over 20 years. I currently serve as a Trustee and Executive Director.

  • In my role I support our initiatives that make charitable giving simple and meaningful, helping to plan the strategy, develop the organisation and engage the stakeholders that are critical to sustaining our success.

    Alongside this, I serve as UK Coordinator for Survivors Fund (SURF), which supports survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda through programmes focused principally on mental health, livelihoods, and long-term wellbeing. My connection to The Charities Advisory Trust comes through my work with SURF, which was one of the first charitable partners of Good Gifts back in 2004.

    In my professional work, I also consult with organisations on sustainability and social impact strategy and have worked with Unilever for over a decade advising them. In a voluntary capacity, I also support the work of an array of other organisations including Network for Africa and Parent Club.

    Across these roles, I’m particularly interested in how strong governance, thoughtful partnerships, and innovative approaches can help charities deliver lasting impact. What motivates me most is helping create the conditions where generosity, good ideas, and great organisations come together to improve people’s lives.

    When not working, I love to run.

Felina

I joined The Charities Advisory Trust in late 2025, supporting the day-to-day running of the organisation and the Knit for Peace programme.

  • My background is in brand consultancy, with an earlier focus on fashion, which shaped my interest in craftsmanship and how people connect to what they make. After several years of working and travelling, I found myself drawn towards something more purposeful and people-focused, which led me to The Charities Advisory Trust. In my role, I support the team across a range of areas and am often the voice at the other end of the phone or email, helping to ensure that the many generous donations we receive are thoughtfully directed to where they are most needed.

Hazel

I was a teacher of severely disabled children for nearly 40 years, and although I was glad to retire, I missed being part of a community.

  • I’ve knitted since about the age of 7 – my mother taught me. I found Knit for Peace in 2019, having entered and won a raffle. When I went to collect my prize, I knew as soon as I walked in that I wanted to volunteer there. Everyone was so welcoming – I had found my new community!

    As well as experiencing the joys of unpacking the amazingly generous donations, I developed an interest in the problem-solving aspects such as completing unfinished items (with and without a pattern!) and putting together a motley selection of squares to make an acceptable blanket. I’m a keen user of scraps!

    I moved away from London in 2022 and now support and promote Knit for Peace from North Wales. I always schedule in a day to volunteer at HQ when I visit the capital, and I love to catch up with everyone and find out what’s going on.

    I feel fortunate to be able to contribute to an organisation that helps in a very practical way to improve the lives of so many people.

Inbar

I joined The Charities Advisory Trust in early 2022, supporting Dame Hilary Blume and the team in transforming our online operations and donations hub.

  • After closing my knitting business during the pandemic, I was looking to donate a large collection of yarn and accessories and discovered Knit For Peace. I began volunteering regularly - sorting donations, packing knitwear for distribution to those in need, and creating content for social media.
    Over time, I took on additional responsibilities as the charity’s Web Developer. In this position, I ensure that our websites and online shop run smoothly and maintain a high standard of design and usability throughout. I also support the IT operations and contribute to our digital content and social media presence.

    Alongside my long-standing passion for knitting, I also pursue photography and pottery as creative outlets.

Jenny

Having taken voluntary redundancy after 36 years of continuous employment and only working part time, I quickly realised that I needed the weekday structure of “work” and was actively looking to take on a volunteer role.

  • When I spotted that a local charity was looking for volunteers, it felt like the stars were aligned when the name Knit for Peace came up.

    I had been a keen knitter since being taught by my Mum at primary school age and would earn extra pin money at college by knitting jumpers and cardigans for my friends.

    I have now been volunteering at Knit for Peace since 2015 and each day at the charity is different but unpacking the parcels of beautifully knitted items for us to re-distribute to our partner charities makes each session feel like Christmas Day.

    It never ceases to amaze me the generosity of our Knitters.

    It gives me great satisfaction to know that Knit for Peace is a charity that can make a difference to people’s lives. Whether it is from the creative and collective process of knitting or crocheting something beautiful and practical for a person you have never met - to having something beautiful, practical and warm to wear made by person who just wants to help in a small way. It is truly heartwarming.

Lacey

I support the team at Charities Advisory Trust as an Admin Assistant while also bringing a creative touch as our resident illustrator and designer.

  • In my role, I enjoy the behind-the-scenes tasks - answering emails, processing orders, and handling the many small but important jobs that keep the office organised.

    Alongside this, I design graphics, create illustrations, manage our social media, and put together newsletters, helping to share our work in a way that feels engaging and accessible.

    My background blends administrative experience with a love of art, and I really enjoy being able to use both sides in a role that supports a meaningful cause.

    Outside of work, I’m happiest curled up with a good science fiction novel, a cup of tea, and some toast!

Mary

I founded Survivors Fund (SURF) in the aftermath of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, in which I lost many members of my own family.

  • SURF exists to support survivors in rebuilding their lives through programmes focused on mental health, livelihoods, and long-term wellbeing, and I dedicated much of my working life to advocating for their needs, before retraining as a certified Integrated Physical Therapist and a Soft Tissue Specialist in which I now practise.

    My connection to The Charities Advisory Trust came through Good Gifts, which began supporting SURF in its early years, making it one of the catalogue's founding charitable partnerships. Seeing the generosity that Good Gifts unlocks - and the direct difference it makes to the people SURF serves - gave me a deep appreciation for what the Trust does and how it does it.

    Now that SURF is well established, I am glad to give something back by volunteering with CAT directly. I help tend the garden, which I find genuinely restorative, and support the Good Gifts team - work that reminds me, every time, how powerful a simple, well-chosen act of giving can be.

Ria

I moved from Finland to the UK in 1990 for work. My working career was in project management, mainly in the transport industry. I have volunteered in different charities over the years and was delighted to discover a local charity, Knit for Peace, in 2015.

  • The volunteer role is varied and interesting, whether clearing out rooms to sublet, helping to organise sales, sorting out Christmas cards, or unpacking parcels of knitting. It never ceases to amaze me how generous our volunteer knitters are and what beautiful items they create. The best thing about volunteering here are the people. The fact that volunteers stay for decades says it all!

    I know the basics of knitting, crochet, weaving and felting but I enjoy sewing most of all. When not handcrafting, I do gardening, photography, classical music, walking, learning new skills and discovering new places.

Rowena

I retired from the business world a few years ago after working as an in-house international corporate tax director for over 25 years, latterly for a French advertising group.

  • I became involved with Charities Advisory Trust through Knit for Peace.   Taught to knit by my mother when I was very small, I knit constantly as a teenager and young adult.  Professional life took over and I only returned to the craft when dealing with the aftermath of a bereavement 10 years ago.  Like many of our Knit for Peace donors I discovered the charity when no-one in my acquaintanceship or family wanted any of my knitting and I was looking for somewhere to donate.

    I started volunteering, opening the incoming parcels and packing the clothes and blankets to send to partner organisations, and subsequently joined the Board of Trustees.

    I still volunteer regularly and now do the social media for Knit for Peace which allows me the opportunity to celebrate the wonderful knitting and crochet sent to us and to show off the fruits of my exploration of the history of knitting.  I strongly believe in the health and social benefits of handcrafting, both for the crafter and the recipients.

    When not knitting I enjoy theatre and making a mess in art classes.

Sandra

I've spent the last 15 years designing and leading cross-sector partnerships across the UN system, foundations, government and the private sector, working on social sustainability and inclusion.

  • My work has focused on livelihoods, gender equity, inclusion and on building the kinds of partnerships between NGOs, UN agencies and corporate actors that can move real resource and attention towards people who need it most.

    What draws me to The Charities Advisory Trust is its belief that charitable giving should be simple, thoughtful and genuinely useful, and that small, well-designed initiatives can create outsized impact. It's a model of philanthropy I believe in, and one I'm learning more about with over time.

    As a Trustee, I hope to bring what I've picked up over the years on partnership design, stakeholder engagement and telling stories that move people, alongside a deep curiosity about how the Trust can grow the reach and impact of its work.

    Beyond this, I'll take any excuse to be creative: photography, pottery, art, collage. And rather inevitably, since joining the Trust, I've started to learn to knit.

Stella

After 40 years teaching in South London without a break and bringing up my three children, when I retired, I wanted to volunteer but found it hard to find something interesting and informal.

  • I first came across Knit for Peace at the Alexandra Palace Knitting and Stitching Show and joined the knitting holiday at the Green Hotel, Mysore after a conversation with one of the volunteers.

    Since 2019 I have made the weekly journey north of the river to help out at Radius Works. It fits with my knitting passion and as well as being inspired by the creations flowing in from knitters and crocheters nationwide. I feel fortunate to have made good friends with the lovely team of staff and volunteers.

    My other passion is travel writing and India has been a great source of inspiration for many articles, so I was fortunate to have another wonderful trip to Mysore in 2025 which enabled me to see first-hand how the charity supports those in need both here and overseas. It's good to know that the humble craft of creating with yarn helps so many people in so many ways.