Global Greengrants Fund UK

Beth brings over 13 years’ of experience in programming, partnerships and grant-making in the social change sector. She spent nearly a decade with the non-profit global agency, Restless Development, that supports the collective power of young people to create a more just and equal world. She led a range of international programmes and partnerships and held senior leadership positions in the UK and Zambia. Most recently, Beth established and led Comic Relief’s Government Partnerships team, delivering funding programmes on a range of issues in the UK and Africa, including women’s rights, urban development, and trade, enterprise and employment. Beth cares deeply about social justice and protecting our planet today, and for our future generations, and is forever-inspired by the beauty of the natural world. She holds a BSc in Zoology from Bristol University and a Post Graduate Certificate in Development Management from the Open University.

Flavia joined Global Greengrants Fund UK with nearly 20 years of experience in the public, charity, and non-profit sectors and has transitioned through various finance roles during her tenure since 2019. Her passion continues to be centred on global grassroots movements that support social, environmental and climate justice causes. She has previously worked for the Tony Blair Institute (formerly Africa Governance Initiative), Open Society Foundation, Medicines & Healthcare Regulatory Agency, Publish What You Pay, and Refugee Action.

With a background in high-value funding partnerships within the community development and humanitarian sectors, Greg specialises in developing collaborative partnerships for strategic impact. Before joining Global Greengrants Fund UK, Greg most recently worked for International Rescue Committee UK as Head of Trusts & Foundations. He has a strong personal interest in sustainable agriculture, climate justice and the food sovereignty movement, and holds an undergraduate degree from Oxford University and an MA from SOAS.

Jasleen is an environmental activist whose approach focuses on inclusivity and intersectionality. She previously worked at C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group as a fundraising intern, having contributed towards the Women4Climate Conference which focused on encouraging women to participate in leadership roles within climate activism. Her passions led her to start a community project called Slough Transition which works with local grassroots organisations to help push the agenda for more sustainable and responsible living practices in the form of community-building arts projects. She holds a BSc Geography with Applied Economics degree from the University of Southampton.

Joyce believes in the power of human agency and ingenuity. Her work exists at the intersection of human capital, mindset, and finance. She is a senior charity sector leader and an ACCA qualified accountant with experience working with finance, IT, governance, operations, and people teams. Having played a pivotal role in the establishment of the first Civil Rights organisation in the UK – the Black Equity Organisation (BEO), Joyce brings expertise in charities leadership including organisational culture, people strategy and financial leadership in the racial justice space through trauma-informed and assets-based approach, and Black disability justice. Her previous roles include Director of Finance, People and Facilities at SignHealth, a deaf-led charity and Director of Finance and Resources at Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG). Joyce also sits on the board of ACEVO (Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations) as a trustee, treasurer and chair of finance and audit committee, and on the board of Aleto (A Legacy for Tomorrow) – a social mobility charity which gives opportunities to young people with high potential from tough backgrounds. Joyce is a regular contributor to IFL (Inspiring Financial Leadership) course - designed to enhance leadership and people skills of financial professionals in the charity sector. She is an active member of the Charity Finance Group (CFG) and one of its first recipients of the IFL award. Joyce is also an Aspen UK Fellow.

Lydia has a diverse background in the non-profit sector across multiple functions including fundraising, communications, research and monitoring and evaluation. Before joining Global Greengrants Fund UK, Lydia worked for Sustainable Hospitality Alliance as Programmes and Impact Officer where she supported the programmes team and delivered the monitoring and evaluation strategy for the organisation’s youth employment programme. In her spare time Lydia is a trustee at Debt Justice, a campaigning organisation that exists to end unjust debt and its root causes. Lydia holds an MSc in International Development Studies from the University of Amsterdam specialising in urban sanitation and a BA in Politics from Newcastle University.

Michelle is a mission-driven non-profit sector professional dedicated to promoting inclusion and equitable access. With over a decade of expertise in project and partnerships management, she has facilitated and operationalised global educational and environmental initiatives for philanthropic and corporate foundations in humanitarian contexts. Michelle is passionate about fostering collaboration, innovation, and sustainable development to create meaningful change for disadvantaged communities.

Natalie is a non-profit professional with experience in grant making, operations, monitoring, and evaluation across a variety of different organisations in the UK and globally. Prior to joining Global Greengrants Fund UK, Natalie managed ProVeg International’s Grants Programme, to support non-profits and individuals worldwide working towards food systems change. Deeply motivated by environmental justice, food systems transformation, community building, and organisational development, she also serves on the board of several non-profits to support their growth and development toward being as effective as possible.

Dr. Nisha Owen is a conservationist with almost two decades of experience championing locally-led efforts to value and conserve the natural world for the benefit of communities and future generations. Having played an integral role in the rapid establishment and growth of charitable foundation On the Edge, Nisha brings expertise in charity leadership and organisational development, including exploring philanthropic best practices. Her previous roles at the Zoological Society of London included significantly growing their flagship EDGE of Existence Programme, and industry-leading collaborations with National Geographic and United for Wildlife, including developing the largest and only award-winning online learning conservation courses in the world. Nisha leads an IUCN expert group on the tree of life (IUCN SSC Phylogenetic Diversity Task Force), which engaged with the development of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s new Global Biodiversity Framework. Nisha also sits on the Conservation Advisory Panel of the World Land Trust and serves as Trustee for London Learning Foundation, improving the wellbeing of disadvantaged communities around London. She holds a MSc, and a PhD from the University of Leeds on human-wildlife conflict in south India.

Originally hailing from Mexico, Sergio has lived in the United Kingdom since 2016. He was working for the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) before joining us. He holds a BSc in Economics from the National Autonomous University of México (UNAM), an MSc in Economic History from the LSE, and a diploma to teach Spanish as a Foreign Language (DIPELE) from UNAM. He has an interest in languages and traveling and also speaks French, Portuguese, and German. His professional experience is within hospitality and philanthropy in Higher Education. He is passionate about causes that can improve well-being and the environment.