Lucy has skilfully driven the EMERGE Group from its inception, as a voluntary pressure group, to its unique position as a leading Social Enterprise and recognised, trusted provider of commercial waste and recycling services across the Greater Manchester city-region. Now a ‘Captain of Social Enterprise’, Lucy was instrumental in setting up EMERGE in order to pioneer household recycling services Manchester in 1996. By galvanising local people, building upon proven good practice from leading schemes in the UK, through her leadership and entrepreneurialism, EMERGE secured major contracts (62000 homes) with Manchester and Trafford Councils for the delivery of formal service provision during the 90’s.
With a diverse set of skills and experience developed from working in the public sector, private businesses and voluntary roles, Lucy is a motivational leader, highly competent organiser and skilled communicator with excellent business acumen and project management capabilities. Lucy’s is currently focused on supporting the EMERGE Group to undertake the acquisition of a long lease together with a major refurbishment of Cheshire House a large building on the New Smithfield Market site in East Manchester, in partnership with Manchester City Council. This is underpinned by an ambitious yet achievable business growth plan.
A Trustee of FareShare UK, Lucy has received praise for her insights into the operational challenges and opportunities facing the charity in its growth over the past 5 years, not least from a social enterprise expert practitioner perspective.
With over 20 years’ experience of securing loans and grants and managing a wide range of financial mechanisms (developing project and core income-streams also Government, EU and Trust funding, donations and sponsorships), Lucy is fully committed to, and passionate about, involving a wide range of stakeholders in order to progress positive social, environmental and economic outcomes locally.
Lucy is passionate about the sustainability and environmental agenda, specifically, conserving resources and the natural world; an animal and bird lover, she is a member and supporter of Lancashire and Cheshire Wildlife Trusts and Friends of the Earth. She is also passionate about ‘good food’, having worked on allotment projects and run a small community garden project, she is a keen advocate of ‘grow your own’ and on raising awareness generally about food provenance, production, cooking and nutrition. Other interests include social equality, mental health, antiques and reuse, gardening and the arts.