Liz Tapner MBE   Chief Executive Officer

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
• February 2019: Selnet is ranked in the top 100 UK social enterprises at the NatWest SE100 Awards
• 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
• May 2020: For the second consecutive year, Selnet is ranked in the top 100 UK social enterprises at the NatWest SE100 Awards
• June 2021: Awarded MBE for Services to Social Enterprise

Follow Liz on Twitter at @LizTap55

 

Core Service Delivery

Andrew Glover   IT & Web Services Coordinator

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 the delivery of the Building Better Opportunities programme, leading all technology and website activity, particularly the partnerships’ online project delivery resources. Andrew administrates the main event in the Selnet calendar – the Annual 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.

 

 

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 maintains a position on the board. Dawn leads on Selnet’s communications, programme brand compliance and bid writing. Within our Building Better Opportunities Programme Dawn leads on communications, design of project marketing materials and has become something of an expert in EU branding rules.

 

 

Nina Cowell   DRIVE Project Coordinator

Nina has been with Selnet for a number of years and has progressed within the organisation developing both her personal and professional skills. Her latest move sees her working as 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.

Nina joined the team in 2017 as project administrator for Building Better Opportunities, later stepping up to the role of Monitoring and Compliance Officer. She comes from a background in primary teaching and supporting children with special needs, before this spending many years in the retail sector, where she picked up her outstanding customer service skills.

 

 

Yvette Holden  Membership Lead Officer

Yvette joined Selnet in October 2020 in the wake of the Covid-19 nationwide lockdown. She will engage new and existing members in our Network, as we support our sector’s continued operation through challenging economic circumstances and meeting a wide range of social need.

Yvette brings 10 years’ experience working within a membership organisation, concentrating on members’ services and identifying support needs. Her aim as Membership Lead Officer is to give Selnet membership new energy, build relationships with members and identify needs and opportunities; all so we can better help our sector to develop, connect, grow – and thrive!

 

 

Mick Hynes  Finance Officer

Mick joined Selnet in April 2019 having previously worked as Finance Manager for Growth Lancashire Ltd. He brings extensive experience in financial management of complex projects, including several multi-million pound European and Government funded programmes, including External Audits for both funding providers. He also has experience in working with business finance as the Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council lead in external funding for SRB, ERDF and LEGI projects under which he also provided training for IT use in finance.

A self-confessed ‘enthusiastic spreadsheet user’ Mick has always enjoyed the development side of grant funding, introducing financial systems that meet European Commission and Audit Commission standards.

 

 

Building Better Opportunities Team

 

Alison Davies   Programme Manager

Alison has a background in managing European funding programmes, regeneration and external funding gained over a 15-year career working in local government in Great Manchester and Lancashire. She then 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.

She has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and over her working career she has gained valuable experience and knowledge within the business and public sector and their funding regimes.

Alison brings these skills and experience to work with the Selnet Building Better Opportunities team and embraces the challenges in working with the diverse partners as Project Lead Officer working across the BBO projects.

 

 

Jan Calderbank   Project Lead Officer

Before joining Selnet, Jan was employed by Community & Business Partners CIC for 10 years, working to develop and manage projects for disadvantaged adults and children. Jan set up and managed the Energy Zone, one of the first asset transfers in the country, a community venue in Blackburn with Darwen, offering a wide range of training, support, opportunities and inclusion for marginalised individuals. She has an impressive record on delivering successful programmes funded by all the major third sector funding bodies.

Jan is a highly motivational manager applies her skills and experience in her work as Project Lead Officer on the Building Better Opportunities programme managed by Selnet.

 

 

Jill Blanshard   Project Lead 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 Selnet Building Better Opportunities team as a Project Lead officer.

 

  

Surri Yallanki   Monitoring and Compliance 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 is monitoring partners’ financial claims as part of our Monitoring and Compliance team.

 

 

Thomas Harrison Monitoring and Compliance Officer

Prior to joining Selnet Tom worked in a number of administrative roles in the private sector with a recent focus on analysing financial information and drafting annual reports for a debt management organisation.

He is now employed as part of the BBO project team, where he deals primarily with monitoring and compliance issues relating to project participants and their files, as well as supporting our delivery partners with their queries.

Not much gets past Tom as he has an admirable ability to absorb and process large amounts of data, which is useful as there will be over 3000 BBO participants on record by the end of 2019!

 

 

Rachel Coupe Engagement Lead

Rachel has a good knowledge of Lancashire, having grown up in Blackpool and lived for thirty years in Preston. With an early career in customer service and the last 11 years in primary education as a supply teacher, social enterprise is a relatively new sector to her. Her teaching experience brought Rachel into contact with some of the most disadvantaged children and families and she understands how early adverse experiences can impact on later life outcomes. This fuels her enthusiasm and drive for supporting the BBO projects as Engagement Lead; intent on improving project take up, identifying needs and opening doors that will enhance partners’ offer to participants.

 

 

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.