As a graduate in Food Science and Nutrition, for over 20 years Elaine’s professional career was in the Food Industry where she held senior positions with Ess Food UK, Sara Lee UK and Country House before establishing her own successful sales and marketing consultancy.
She relinquished her career to champion the salvation of the Monastery.
Elaine is co-founder and Chief Executive of the Charitable Trust that has raised over £10 million to save and restore Gorton Monastery and found a sustainable new use for the future of this previously endangered World Monument site. The experience of delivering the Monastery project over the past 21 years has turned Elaine into a passionate advocate for sustainable communities and heritage led regeneration. She is also a Director of the Monastery Manchester, the social enterprise company that operates the restored heritage site as a corporate, cultural and community venue.
Elaine was awarded an MBE for services to heritage in 2007 and was promoted to OBE in 2020 for services to Heritage and to Charity. With its permanent education, training, health and well-being facilities the Monastery delivers innovative community projects where new approaches and models of care in health, skills and employability can be shared.
Other voluntary, mentoring and advisory positions included board membership of the Princes Trust in Cheshire, Chair of Manchester Cathedral’s Council for 5 years, Community Action Network, the Shared Health Foundation and the Global Links Initiative as well as acting as adviser and consultant to numerous charitable projects and heritage building preservation trusts across the UK.