Meet the Team

Liz Tapner MBE

Strategic Operations Consultant

Liz is the driving force behind Selnet and responsible for developing it into the major infrastructure organisation that it is today.

A chartered business adviser and business mentor, she has extensive experience of business support programmes having worked for, and with, local authorities across the North West throughout her career. She specialises in finance and accounts and is able to support clients in all aspects of financial planning.

Liz’s main role as CEO is to ensure that Selnet can deliver on its contracts and that the business is sustainable for the long term. To do this, she works closely with the board of directors to make sure that the whole team pulls in the same direction.

Liz is perhaps best known in Lancashire as an advocate for the social enterprise sector and regularly undertakes speaking engagements and media articles to promote the work of local social businesses. She represents Lancashire as a sub-region of the North West.

Liz has received national recognition for the achievements and impacts of her work:

• • November 2017: Awarded one of the First Honorary Social Enterprise UK Fellowships
  • November 2018: Named the UK’s most influential woman in social enterprise at the Social Enterprise UK awards
  • January 2019: Ranked as one of the Top 100 ‘Northern Power Women’ at the Northern Power Women Awards, which showcase role models and celebrate the many different ways women contribute to a thriving Northern Powerhouse
  • November 2019: Named in UK’s top 100 Women in Social Enterprise ‘WISE100’ having been nominated in the ‘Social Business Leader of the Year’ category
  • June 2021: Awarded MBE for Services to Social Enterprise

Follow Liz on Twitter at @LizTap55

Andrew Glover 

IT & Web Services Consultant

Andrew has been with Selnet since 2008; his skills and knowledge have grown as the organisation has developed and he remains an invaluable member of the Selnet team.

Within his current role he maintains a Selnet web presence across all operational activity. Andrew supports programme delivery, leading all technology and website activity, particularly partnerships’ online project delivery resources. Andrew administrates the main event in the Selnet calendar – the Enterprise in Society Awards. He supports members and partners with web-based and IT concerns and works across all programmes supporting the team’s delivery. He is responsible for all electronic systems and is able to troubleshoot and fix most any operational difficulties.

Alison Davies

Head of Employability Services

Alison joined Selnet’s Building Better Opportunities team in 2016, working with our diverse partners as Project Lead Officer across the BBO projects. In 2021, Alison became our Senior Project Lead Officer, covering procurement and adapting services to address gaps in provision. Since January 2023, Alison stepped up again to become Selnet’s Programme Manager, covering Boost’s Flying Start service, UKSPF projects and Under One Roof.

Alison has a background in managing European funding programmes, regeneration and external funding gained over a 15-year career working in local government in Greater Manchester and Lancashire, with a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. She moved into the VCSE sector building up strong networks and prior to joining the Selnet team worked for Disability Advice West Lancs, based in Skelmersdale. Securing her role at Selnet brought combined experience of meeting contract requirements, and service delivery of a front facing social enterprise.

As our Programme Manager, Alison is driven by seeing impacts that are achieved from contracts we secure and manage. (Here’s a great example of this!)

Alison has a background in economic development, managing European funding programmes, regeneration and external funding gained over a 15-year career working in local government in Greater Manchester and Lancashire, with a Master’s Degree in Public Administration.

• • March 2024: Alison was named in the UK’s Top 100 Women in Social Enterprise (WISE100)

Dawn Welham

Network Co-ordinator

Dawn is an award-winning project manager and Chartered Business Advisor with a passion for social enterprise and cross sector collaborations. She has been working in Lancashire in support of the social enterprise sector since 2009 and became a Director of Selnet Ltd in January 2012, representing the interests of waste and environmental social enterprises. Her professional experience builds on formal qualifications including a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Business.

In 2017 Dawn joined the Selnet team as our Network Coordinator and maintained a position on the board until 2022. She currently leads on Selnet’s communications, marketing, programme brand compliance and bid writing. Alongside this Dawn is scaling up our membership offer for our own ‘Social Enterprise Lancashire Network’ and our direct support for members, from training and networking opportunities, to contract readiness and service development, to promotion and recognition.

Dawn’s long term commitment to our sector directly aligns with Selnet’s core aims – to empower social entrepreneurs and social enterprises to start up, develop, connect and grow.

Nina Cowell

Client Account Manager and Compliance Specialist

Nina has been with Selnet for over 7 years and has progressed within the organisation developing both her personal and professional skills. She is now an Account Manager on the Boost’s Flying Start Programme, directing entrepreneurs and businesses to the right support to help them start and grow their businesses. This includes seeking new professional connections and opportunities that aid in developing their business management and leadership skills.

Nina joined our team in 2017 as project administrator for Building Better Opportunities, later stepping up to the role of Monitoring and Compliance Officer. In 2020, she became our Project Coordinator on the ERDF funded DRIVE project, collaborating with partners supporting businesses across Lancashire that are just starting-up or seeking opportunities to grow and develop.

From a background in retail, and primary teaching and supporting children with special needs, Nina picked up her outstanding customer service skills. Now she is currently working towards Level 5 CMI Diploma in Professional Consulting. Nina is an excellent ‘networker’ and loves talking to people and finding solutions to help them achieve their business goals.

Yvette Holden

Client Account Manager & Reporting Specialist

Yvette joined Selnet in October 2020 in the wake of the Covid-19 nationwide lockdown. As our Membership Lead Officer, she engaged new and existing members in our Network, supporting our sector’s continued operation through challenging economic circumstances and meeting a wide range of social needs.

Yvette excels at helping business leaders to market and promote their business and now as an Account Manager on the Boost Flying Start Programme, she assists business owners to seek the support they need to start and grow their business.

In addition, as the Social Enterprise Sector representative, Yvette joins a group of VCFSE sector leaders in developing an effective transformative partnership between the Lancashire and South Cumbria Health and Care Partnership and the VCFSE sector. The VCFSE Alliance meets regularly to share information, discuss challenges and how to solve them, give feedback and updates on projects happening in the four Places and to coordinate the vision and strategies to work together more effectively as a partnership.

Yvette brought 10 years’ experience working within a membership organisation, concentrating on members’ services and identifying support needs. Now she is currently working towards Level 5 CMI Diploma in Professional Consulting. When supporting a new startup, Yvette enjoys speaking with people, hearing about their business ideas and ambitions, then enabling them to progress through the Flying Start programme to see their business dream becoming a reality.

Surri Yallanki

Finance Officer 

Surri joined Selnet in April 2017. She has a background in finance and administration and experience of working within European Social Funding and Study Programme. Surri’s role as part of the Building Better Opportunities programme was monitoring partners’ financial claims as part of our Monitoring and Compliance team. With her strong numeracy skills and extensive experience as a core member of our BBO team, Surri stepped up as our Finance Officer in 2023.

Jill Blanshard

Senior Project Support Officer

Jill joined Selnet in October 2021. Before joining Selnet, Jill worked as a Business Development Manager for a social enterprise in Manchester. Prior to that Jill has a strong regional and project management background in both the charity and high street retail sector managing multiple stores across the UK.

Over her working career she has gained valuable knowledge in business and people management and has a particular interest in helping organisations and individuals meet their full potential.

Jill applies these skills and experience working within the Move Forward and Invest in Youth team as a Senior Project Support Officer.

Daisy Carlyle-Ryan

Partner Support Officer 

Daisy joined Selnet’s team in January 2022 after graduating from Liverpool John Moores University with a BA(hons) Health and Social Care. She has a strong interest in the social care sector, as well as experience in customer service. Daisy will utilise these skills and her bubbly personality to fulfil her role supporting our partners to deliver Selnet’s three Building Better Opportunities projects. Daisy will be the first point of contact when you call the office and always willing to help.

Tracy Worden

Head of Inclusion Services

Tracy has worked at Selnet in a number of different roles for over 15 years. In this time she has developed her skills significantly and regularly demonstrated her commitment to the people we are here to support. All of the team and board of directors are pleased to have seen her progress both professional and personally and are now proud to see her in this Snr Management role.

Tracy is an experienced practitioner working with people who in many cases are in a crisis situation through supporting and managing Selnet’s furniture reuse contracts. She has operated as Senior Application Pathways Co-ordinator for our Under One Roof project for the past 4 years and is passionate about ensuring those who need us are supported.

She has excellent communication and interpersonal skills and has wasted no time implementing and improving support systems for the Under One Roof project team.

As Head of Inclusion services Tracy will help to ensure that the Essential Household Goods services contracted by Lancashire County Council and support offered through the scheme continues to run efficiently and effectively. Tracy plans to do everything she can to sustain this service and similar provision to ensure a helping hand goes out to those most in need when times are tough.

Thomas Harrison

Application Pathway Coordinator 

Working for previous private sector employers Tom had a number of administrative roles including a role in which he was analysing financial information and drafting annual reports for a debt management organisation.

He came to Selnet in July 2017 as part of the Building Better Opportunities (BBO) project team, where he dealt primarily with monitoring and compliance issues relating to project participants and supporting delivery partners with their queries.

Tom has progressed and developed his skills while at Selnet and now works within the Under One Roof team, responsible for the delivery of Lancashire’s Essential Household Goods and Support Scheme. As an Application Case Worker, he works with customers, partners, and links in with external agencies who also offer services and support to people in crisis.

Tom is a valued member of the team who has an admirable ability to absorb and process large amounts of data, and maintains internal systems and processes to ensure optimum performance of the Under One Roof scheme.

Alina Belousova

Project Administrator 

Alina joined our team in early 2024. She has a BA in Events Management and brings over 3 years’ experience working in the cooperative business sector as a project administrator.

Alina is an avid reader and proofreader and shows great interest in productivity, streaming and organisation. She uses her interest in behavioural science to make communication with others as smooth as possible.

Outside of work, Alina runs her local organic veg box scheme in Preston, as well as plant-based cooking demos and masterclasses.

Emma Woods

Customer Support Keyworker

Emma joined the Under One Roof team in early 2025, bringing a wealth of experience from her early career in health and social care, followed by two decades in the retail and hospitality sector. Through various management roles, she has developed her interpersonal and customer service skills to an exceptional standard, excelling as both a team player and in her interactions with the general public.

As Customer Support Keyworker with the Under One Roof team Emma will offer further support through signposting, giving guided access into external support services with the aim to help build resilience, reduce isolation and improve an individual’s situation.

Many customers approaching the Under One Roof service come to us at a very difficult time. Emma is a naturally caring person and is keen to offer additional help and support where needed to ensure that the crisis is averted, and that customers have the information they need to move forward positively and ultimately reach their full potential.

For People | For Business | For Good