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David Constantine
Executive Officer
Motivation UK
David Constantine is Co-Founder and Executive Officer of Motivation UK, a registered charity which works in partnership with a range of organisations to create sustainable projects to enhance the quality of life of people with mobility disabilities in developing countries.
When travelling around Australia in 1982 at the age of 21, David misjudged a dive on Fraser Island and broke his neck at level C4/5, which left him quadriplegic. After completing a degree in Computer Studies, David worked at IBM for two years and then took an MA in Computer Related Industrial Design at the Royal College of Art. While at the RCA David, along with fellow student Simon Gue, designed an award-winning wheelchair for the developing world. Together with Richard Frost they travelled to Bangladesh to test their design, and in 1991 returned to set up the first Motivation project, a workshop producing affordable and appropriate wheelchairs with a simple design.
Since 1991 Motivation has worked in over 30 countries worldwide and developed over 50 designs of low-cost mobility solutions. It is one of the few organisations to deal with both the provision of disability products and services and the wider social and economic needs of people with mobility disabilities.
Rebecca Edge
Audi Design Foundation
Rebecca is now a Consultant for the Audi Design Foundation. She was previously Manager of the organisation.
Rebecca was instrumental in changing the focus of the Foundation from being simply a design organisation to one that improves people’s lives through sustainable and inclusive design. As such, Rebecca has spearheaded various projects including Sustain our Nation.
Lucy Findlay
Chief Executive
RISE
RISE was set up in April 2003 to support and promote the interests of social enterprise in the South West. Lucy has overseen the development of RISE as it has become a significant regional and national player for social enterprise inputting into the Regional Economic Strategy and advising the Office of the Third Sector on the National Social Enterprise Action Plan.
During her time at RISE she has led work to develop the Social Enterprise Mark, the brand for social enterprise. Lucy is also the acting Chief Executive of the national Social Enterprise Mark Company, which is a joint venture between RISE and the Social Enterprise Coalition. She is also a long standing Board member of the Social Enterprise Coalition and is a DEFRA strategic partner.
Lucy originally trained as a town planner, but became more interested in the ‘people’ side of economic development. In the past she has worked for the Development Trusts Association and ACRE. She has also spent some time working on secondment to both the Government Office for the South East and SEEDA as well vice-chairing RAISE the South East VCS Network. Lucy also recently became a fellow of the RSA.
Nick Harrison
Climate Change and Sustainability Adviser
Nick Harrison has over a decade of experience working in government, business and civil society sectors researching, implementing and promoting sustainable development and climate change solutions.
Trained as an organisational psychologist with several awards for innovation, Nick has a natural interest in design solutions that fulfill human needs and support a flourishing economy without compromising social or environmental sustainability.
Nick is a non-exec director of Hub Bristol, an active fellow of LEAD international and currently works as a climate change and sustainable development adviser for the UK government and Audit Commission.
Ted Matthews
Project Manager, Urban Ideas Bakery
British Council
Ted is Project Manager for the Urban Ideas Bakery as part of the British
Council's Russia and Northern Europe regional project, Creative Cities. Based in Oslo he was part of the design team that developed the international award winning Future City Game, a team-based process to create new thinking and action to improve the quality
of life in cities, now being played across Europe.
Ted instigated and co-designed the Urban Ideas Bakery process that brings together social innovators from across Europe to address challenges as defined and owned by locals in urban communities across Europe. Active in the debate around socially responsive design he also lectures and advises on how attributes relating to the sacred could be utilized to improve design and community engagement. Last year he published the short provocation ‘Sacred in the City’ as part of Norway's contribution to the Venice Biennale.
Dominic Murphy
Executive Director
Creating Excellence
Dominic is the Executive Director of Creating Excellence, the regional centre for excellence for sustainable communities in the South West. Prior to his current appointment he was employed by the South West Regional Development Agency as development manager for the emerging centre of excellence. Between 2001 and 2004 Dominic worked as a senior policy adviser to the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit, based in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in London.
Over a career spanning 25 years as a regeneration practitioner, Dominic has worked for a community based housing association, two local authorities, a citywide regeneration partnership and has led a New Deal for Communities' scheme. Over this time he has developed a very successful track record in designing, funding and operating regeneration programmes.
Dominic also works as a facilitator and speaker on a wide range of issues relevant to regeneration and sustainable communities work.
At present Dominic is the Chair of the Sustainable Communities Excellence Network, the national network of Regional Centres of Excellence for Sustainable Communities and is also Chair of the Board of Management of 'Community at Heart', Bristol's New Deal for Communities' partnership. Recently Dominic was appointed to the Audit Commission as an Affiliate, and is also a judge for the BURA Awards for Best Practice in Regeneration.
Professor Isobel Pollock
Royal Academy of Engineering visiting Professor in Engineering and Design in the School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds
Audi Design Foundation Trustee
At the University of Leeds, Isobel is actively involved in design and engineering projects within the School of Engineering and the Keyworth Institute which promotes interdisciplinary working in engineering and business, and is a focus for the Knowledge Transfer Projects with local industries.
After 25 years as a senior manager in several multi-national manufacturing industries including ICI & DuPont, she has specialised in assessing and mentoring organisations in manufacturing excellence best practises.
Isobel was Vice President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers from 1999 to 2006 and is currently Chairman of the Heritage Committee and a Pension Trustee. She is also a Board member of Engineering Council UK and Chairman of the Quality Assurance Committee. She is a Member of Court of the Worshipful Company of Engineers and a Trustee of the Audi Design Foundation.
Mark Stevens
GSS Architecture
Mark is a Chartered Surveyor and Partner with Gotch Saunders & Surridge LLP a firm of architects, project managers and quantity surveyors who were established in 1879. Mark is the managing Partner for their Bristol office, which he set up nine years ago after relocating from the Midlands. Mark is responsible for overseeing projects ranging in value from £250,000 to in excess of £30m.
Mark has also recently taken over the role of the Chair of Business in the Community Bristol ProHelp, an organisation set up to help charitable organisations to get projects “off the ground” on a probono basis, and is responsible for the interface between businesses involved in the initiative and the charities.
Mark is also a Chartered Environmentalist and has a keen interest in developing sustainable business practices in addition to ensuring all projects within the practice address sustainability, whilst he is also a Fellow of the Forum of the Built Environment.