Jennifer Clark
Food Hub Coordinator, Family support worker and Community Connector

Jennifer Clark

Food Hub Coordinator, Family support worker and Community Connector

Having worked in the local area for many years Jennifer has a positive relationship working in local schools. She has experience of managing afterschool school provisions for local children and Jennifer is committed to supporting family life and helping to support parents. Jennifer is responsible for managing and organising our food bank activity and promoting and developing the service through schools and community partners. As a Community Connector, Jennifer also has an outreach element to her work which means she can get to know our community better for the benefit of families.

Debz Bonnique
Chief Officer

Debz Bonnique

Chief Officer

Debz Bonnique is our Project & Engagement Manager. She is an experienced Education practitioner and Community Development Manager with over 30 years of experience within the Education and voluntary sector, predominantly with children and families across Birmingham.

Debz has also run her own business, providing a range of family learning and youth programmes for children, families and young people.

As an adult/college tutor it has always been very important for her to build positive links between home and school and the community, by creating opportunities for families and schools to work together. She was responsible for the co-ordination and development of a large outreach parent partnership team, which involved supporting and developing parents as co-educators. Her role as chair of Governors for two local schools, has given her an insight into the strategic and operational management of schools, which is very useful in her role at HAOS.

Debz is a positive person who believes anything is possible and always encourage and motivate others to believe the same.

Eddie Wright
Chair

Eddie Wright

Chair

Hi, I'm Eddie, and I've proudly served as a trustee since 2016, bringing over 25 years of experience in the IT industry. I've successfully founded and managed three multi-million-pound IT companies during the 90s and early 2000s. I'm currently a consultant for a large multi-national software company. Growing up in the local area, I'm deeply connected to the community and committed to ensuring that Handsworth and the surrounding areas continue to thrive.

As Chair, I'm fully aware of the responsibilities and challenges that lie ahead. My focus is on making sure HAOS has the capacity and flexibility to deliver life-changing projects and programs that will empower the next generation.

Gary Bowman
Development Manager

Gary Bowman

Development Manager

Gary Bowman is our manager. He has returned to the voluntary sector, his natural home, after 25 years experience of serving communities through leading on community development, community safety and neighbourhood regeneration and renewal for public sector led organisations in Sandwell, Birmingham and Burton.

Gary has a strong commitment to ensuring the voice of local people is heard and to meeting the needs of the most vulnerable in our communities. He appreciates the vital role that schools play in local community life and sees Handsworth Association of Schools' huge potential to be a leading agency in schools' improvement, developing future citizens and tackling poverty and poor health.

Debbie Thomas
Office Manager

Debbie Thomas

Office Manager

Debbie Thomas is our Office Administrator. She has many years of experience working for the NHS in hospitals and for the Clinical Commissioning Group in varied roles as Executive Assistant, HR Adviser, Project Officer & Healthcare Assistant.

Debbie was a School Governor for over 12 years with a committed role as Chair of the staffing committee. She began working with HAOS as volunteer providing administration and project support.

Debbie has been a volunteer member of her local community group for residents in collaboration with the local Police, Councillors and MP in highlighting and responding to crime prevention and supporting safety procedures.

Debbie is passionate in supporting projects where the heart of the matter is for children, families and citizens.

Stephen Whitehead
Green Mentor

Stephen Whitehead

Green Mentor

Stephen Whitehead is a socially engaged/relational artist. His practise grows empathy with nature; developing environmental literacy and agency with concrete actions and a sense of community in that action. Collaborations have included scientific research, support of environmental N.G.O.s, biodiversity development, carbon reduction in institutions and art interventions in galleries, heritage sites and at major public events. In his role as Green Mentor at HAoS, Stephen supports Green Influencer groups in schools to develop Youth Social Action, through campaigns and practical action. In developing and running workshops and lessons in school to support these actions, Stephen encourages carbon literacy and critical thinking in the young people we support. Stephen’s knowledge, experience, expertise and enthusiasm provides a platform for our schools in teaching and learning, and personalised support… from building outdoor resources to whole school environmental auditing.

Parveen Talwar

Parveen Talwar

My name is Parveen Talwar and I am a long-standing, highly-experienced Health, and Wellbeing Specialist. Since founding Rucha Nutrition I went on to found Communities Engage and Thrive (CET), a local Birmingham-based social enterprise specialising in delivering diabetes, heart-health, obesity and mental wellness for grassroots, culturally sensitive groups in the West Midlands.

Sarah Smith

Sarah Smith

Hello, I am Sarah Smith and I am currently the Head Teacher of St James CE Primary School in Handsworth. Following a career in London in the financial sector, I chose to train as a teacher and began working in Handsworth in 2006.

Carole Wilkinson
Family Connector (Family Support)

Carole Wilkinson

Family Connector (Family Support)

coming soon

Diane Foster
Family Connector

Diane Foster

Family Connector

coming soon

Vita Maski
Family Connector

Vita Maski

Family Connector

coming soon

Eddie Edmead

Eddie Edmead

Greetings, I'm Eddie Edmead. I am currently the Major Grants Manager for "Your Trust Charity", which is the official charity for Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust.

René
Food Bank Lead / Project Support Assistant

René

Food Bank Lead / Project Support Assistant

Alison Taylor

Alison Taylor

Hi, I'm Alison Taylor. I have been part of Handsworth Association of Schools as an education practitioner for over 20 years and a member of the board since 2018. I am currently the Head Teacher at Cherry Orchard Primary School in Handsworth Wood.

Caibral Clarke-Bonnique
Project Support

Caibral Clarke-Bonnique

Project Support

coming soon

Jasbir Kaur
Volunteer

Jasbir Kaur

Volunteer

coming soon

Kulbir Kaur
Volunteer

Kulbir Kaur

Volunteer

coming soon

Bogusia Matusiak Varley

Bogusia Matusiak Varley

Hello, I'm Dr Bogusia. I am the owner of Bogusia TQM Ltd, the Director of Gulf Education Services and the founder and co-director of Top Quality Marque (UK) Ltd.

Nora Martin
Volunteer

Nora Martin

Volunteer

coming soon

Patricia Pinnock
Volunteer

Patricia Pinnock

Volunteer

coming soon

Shamala Antonio

Shamala Antonio

Biography coming soon.

Dave Thomas
Driver

Dave Thomas

Driver

coming soon

Gurdevram
Driver

Gurdevram

Driver

coming soon

Kelsey Reid
Digital Communications Assistant

Kelsey Reid

Digital Communications Assistant

Before joining Handsworth Association of Schools as our Digital Communications Assistant, Kelsey graduated from the Northern Film School at Leeds Beckett University with a BA in Filmmaking. Drawing on her passion for film and storytelling, Kelsey currently produces and edits and all of the high quality video material found on our website. In addition to her video work, Kelsey serves as our official event photographer, capturing and archiving our memorable moments with her exceptional photography.

Paul
Web

Paul

Web

Paul comes to Handsworth via Hollywood, Ca., where at the dawn of internet time, he worked as a front end web designer defining how corporations in the movie, television and entertainment industries would do business online. When Paul says he worked for Oprah, that means he spent 20 minutes per week uploading satellite coordinates to a secure web page, for her production company Harpo, enabling affiliate TV stations to download Oprah’s syndicated television show. Most recently, as the most mature of mature students Paul graduated with First in Creative and Professional Writing from the University of Wolverhampton.

At HAoS, Paul evolves our website as we evolve as a group. Finding solutions to meet our ever changing needs.

Support Team
Drivers and volunteers

Support Team

Drivers and volunteers

Handsworth Association of Schools is indebted and reliant upon our superb team of support staff, drivers and volunteers. We would simply be unable to function without them. Thank you all!