Debbie is Director of Programmes at Barrow Cadbury Trust, a position she has held for the past ten years. In addition to her role in overseeing the Trust’s programmes, she leads its Economic Justice portfolio, focussing it on how local economies can be shaped to benefit local communities. The Trust has a particular interest in Birmingham and much its Economic Justice work is located there. The programme explores how the different elements of the local economy interrelate and funds work on the ground to support interrelationships and ensure that people experiencing financial exclusion have a say in policy and practice.
Debbie has a particular interest in gender justice, racial justice and the voluntary and community sector. She was one of the founders of the Funders for Racial Justice Alliance which has been influencing in supporting charitable funders to increase their funding of work to further racial justice and race equality. Past roles have included management positions at The National Lottery Community Fund and an NHS Trust plus being Chief Executive of an organisation for people with learning disabilities and their families.
Her non-executive positions have included a number of Trusteeships. She is currently chair of The Foundry, the award-winning conference centre and host to a range of social justice organisations and of Global Dialogue, one of the leading platforms for international funder collaboration. She is on the boards of Ethex, a fintech company that connects social businesses with investors, and of West Midlands Funders’ Network.