Meet the team at Tools for Self Reliance
Name: Sarah Ingleby
Role: Chief Executive
About: A former teacher who changed career to work with VSO in Zambia for 4 years, Sarah returned to the UK and took up a post with Tools for Self Reliance. After 14 years, including volunteer management here, and picking up a MSC in Development Management on the way, Sarah took over the reigns to become CEO in 2012.
Name: Ash Phillips
Role: Africa Programme Manager
About: Ash started working in International Development Programming in 2016, managing early marriage and FGM/C education projects in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. Has since worked with refugee communities in Europe delivering direct assistance and removing unexploded ordnance in Cambodia and Kosovo.
Name: Cecily Bryant
Role: Africa Programme Manager
About: Cecily first arrived in Africa over 25 years ago, living in a Zimbabwean village researching livelihoods and food insecurity. Since then, she has worked across East, Central and Southern Africa and the Caribbean managing a wide variety of development and humanitarian programmes including vocational training, education, and micro finance.
Name: Colin Burford
Role: Workshop and Site Manager
About: Joining us from the fire service, Colin works hard to keep our ship running smoothly, ensuring we deliver high-quality tools to our
trainees in our projects or for public sales to raise funds. He also oversees our Netley Marsh site and tenants —keeping us all safe and healthy!
Name: Katie Wilson
Role: Head of Fundraising and Communications
About: Katie started her fundraising career working in intern roles to learn more about the charity sector. Since then she has spent 7 years in fundraising working across many disciplines including events, community, corporate and trust fundraising. For the last 3 years Katie has worked in marketing and communications in the fields of health and disability.
Name: Nicky Heather
Role: Trust Fundraiser
About: Nicky, our newest recruit, has over 15 years fundraising experience, leveraging vital support from grant makers across the UK. She has worked in international development and health to name a few fields and even worked here in the early 200s before re-joining the team in 2023.
Name: Vicky Fernandes
Role: Individual Giving Officer
About: Vicky studied Anthropology at the University of Kent before working in conference co-ordination, event management and marketing. In 2015 she joined an environmental charity as Membership Officer within the Fundraising team and now joins Tools For Self Reliance as Individual Giving Officer.
Name: Ben Riley
Role: Volunteer Co-ordinator
About: studied Business Studies at Plymouth University, spent 12 years in the NHS recruiting blood donors before joining an HIV charity as Fundraising and Volunteer Officer.
Name: Sam Northcott
Role: Administration Officer
About: Previously worked at HSBC, the Local Planning Authority and most recently Hampshire Constabulary. Joined the team at the end of March 2014 and deals with the daily running of the office.
