Our Board

Tracey Thomas,

Chair of Board

A local resident of Tuffley, Tracey brings a wealth of experience from her extensive NHS career, where she held both local and national roles. Currently, she serves as an Associate at Create Gloucestershire, leading the Create Leadership Programme to unite cross-sector partners and community members for fairer health outcomes in the county.

Tracey was a founding member of the Shuri Network, the first NHS and care network for minority ethnic women in digital health; a group that celebrates diversity, challenges systemic barriers, and supports the career progression of ethnic minority women.

Currently, Tracey volunteers as a Restorative Justice Practitioner and Mediator with the Gloucester Constabulary Police Force and is strengthening her role in the field of Executive Coaching. 

Candace Plouffe, Director

I am Canadian but now call Gloucestershire home.  I have been fortunate to live and work in a variety of places including Canada, New Zealand and here in the UK since 2000.

My background is in Occupational Therapy, and my career has included work as a clinician, operational leader and a consultant in a wide variety of sectors, including health, education and social care.

I have Board experience from both public and voluntary organisations, including a number of organisations which support inclusion, community development and health and wellbeing.

I have always worked in the community and I am passionate about working alongside people to create environments that support individuals and groups to realise their full potential and achieve their aspirations.

I have volunteered in some way most of my adult life, as a way to make my own neighbourhood the best it can be.

I have joined the GCBC Board because what the collective is trying to do, and how it works makes sense to me - Letting people shape the place where they live – making Gloucester an even greater community than it already is.

Mark Gale,

Director

I am the Chief Executive and founder of the charity Gloucestershire Gateway Trust and a director of the business Gloucester Services on the M5 which the trust initiated. I have worked for 40 years in voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations in Gloucestershire mainly on larger social housing estates helping to establish organisations such as Gloucester Law Centre, the Furniture Recycling Project, Community Foster Care, community shops and neighbourhood development trusts owned by local residents. I am a co-operator who helps to build coalitions for change from the bottom up.

Ruth Saunders,

Director

My current role is Director of Communities at Gloucester City Council and I previously worked for a local charity in a number of different roles over several years. My experience has shown me the value of communities and the impact of them taking a lead role in developing their own sense of community, be it in a place or around a passion. I am passionate about empowering people to act on the things that are most important to them and love to see what can be created when groups of people share motivation to make things happen.

 I have been a Board Member since the Community Building Collective was first established and have seen it grow and evolve over time. I was really keen to make sure that the opportunity was there to move away from other services and form into the unique organisation it is today.

Sally Byng,

Director

Sally’s day job is as Chief Executive of Barnwood Trust, a financially independent charitable foundation that is focused on working with disabled people and people with mental health challenges to make Gloucestershire a better place to live. Sally believes passionately that communities should be places where everyone feels included and no one feels left out, and where everyone can contribute and participate in the way that they choose.

Paul Hooper,

Director

Gloucester Community Building Collective is a progressive organisation looking to connect and empower communities within Gloucester to make significant positive change. This fits perfectly with my retirement aims of making a real difference to people’s lives in Gloucestershire and I'm keen to play my part.

I’ve been a chartered accountant for over 30 years and live in Hucclecote. Prior to retirement I spent my most of my career in Financial Services, applying strong commercial judgement consistently across varying complex regulated businesses in different markets.

I’m now using my skills and experience to assist voluntary organisation. I’m currently a Trustee of Barnwood Trust, a financially independent charitable foundation that is focused on working with disabled people and people with mental health challenges to make Gloucestershire a better place to live. And a Trustees of Hope for Tomorrow, which helps the NHS to bring cancer treatment closer to patients with mobile cancer care units, making their lives that much easier at a difficult time.

Becki Barrow,

Director

My name is Becki and I have lived in Gloucester all my life. I have a wonderfully supportive husband and two daughters who keep me extremely busy day to day. I am a registered social worker by background with a specialism in Mental health and currently work locally within health and social care commissioning. In my free time I like to spend it with my family and friends, train and compete in crossfit and watch rugby. Placing people and communities at the heart of decision making is of upmost importance to me. I will always aim to advocate for the voice of the person or community at the heart of the decision making because I have seen first-hand the positive changes that can be made when people are afforded choice and control around decisions that make a difference to their lives.

Anne Radley,

Director

Anne is a Gloucester resident and is interested in how the community can support people.  She has worked with the collective in Elmbridge and would like to understand this work better.