Our Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors provide oversight, guidance, and support for our work across Gloucester. Their diverse backgrounds and experiences help shape our direction and ensure we stay true to our values.
Director
Paul’s deep-rooted connection to Gloucestershire, where he and his family have lived all their lives, fuels his passion to support community-centric organisations that make a meaningful difference. He’s been a chartered accountant for over 30 years and lives in Hucclecote. Prior to retirement he spent my most of his career in Financial Services. He now spends the majority of his time giving back to communities in Gloucestershire by acting as a Trustee for a number of charitable organisations.
For Paul, the most critical skill for Directors is strategic thinking. It is vital to challenge organisations not to simply continue with what has been done historically or what is easiest, but to consider how they can drive real, sustainable change. Collaboration and partnership with others will be key to achieving this. Paul is genuinely excited about being a Director as it aligns perfectly with one of his personal goals – to make a difference in his community by connecting people and together driving meaningful action.
Paul Hooper
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.
Tracey Thomas
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.
Mark Gale
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.
Anne Radley
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.
Candace Plouffe
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.
Ruth Saunders
Director
Having recently joined GCBC Board, I am super excited to contribute to strengthening connections across Gloucester, working towards a stronger, more connected Gloucester, where every resident feels valued, heard, and supported.
My expectations are that we, as a Board, will govern and allocate resources with transparency, champion inclusivity, where every voice is heard and value, and strengthen partnerships to maximise impact.
My vision for the GCBC is to be a catalyst for lasting change, addressing social inequities and creating opportunities that make Gloucester a better place for its residents and future generations to come.
Oritseweyinmi Ofenor
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.
Becki Barrow
CONNECT
CREATE
CHALLENGE
What we do
Through our work, we support people to take action on what matters to them. That includes:
- Building confidence in themselves and their ideas
- Connecting people who care about similar things
- Helping ideas grow into something real
- Creating conditions where new things can happen
- Supporting others to do the same