We’re a small team, spread across the UK

We’ve all worked with young people before, and now you’ll find us working inside creative agencies, where we’re soaking up agency life and culture. It gives us the knowledge and inspiration we need to talk to teachers and students about the creative industry today, and the best ways to break into it.

Heather MacRae, Chief Executive [photograph]

Heather MacRae, Chief Executive

Heather has been with us from the start. She shaped our dream into a fully fledged charity. And she’s still our guide: giving us a strong strategy to follow and raising funds. Heather always gets a buzz from connecting people and ideas. She’s won the National Careers Award and the Arthur C Clarke Award for her educational outreach work.

Helen Poole

Helen Poole, Director

Helen lights creative sparks. She works with schools, colleges and brands to get our programmes off the ground. (She says training as a teacher and having worked in recruitment helps.) In her spare time, Helen loves to organise festivals, do yoga and travel.

Paul Reid [photograph]

Paul Reid, Director

Paul is the Founding Director for Disrupt Space Ltd and former MD of Black Cultural Archives. He has been exposed to different aspects of cultural heritage and community activism throughout his career and so jumped at the chance to join the team to help with collaborations that facilitate, develop and release the exciting power that exists with every idea.

Hannah Pater, Director [photograph]

Hannah Pater, Director

Hannah’s experience and skills were built across the private, public and third sector. She’s worked top creative advertising agencies, taught English in secondary schools and developed content and partnerships at not-for-profit organisations. She loves the development process – whether it be the development of great work or great people. Hannah is working part-time alongside the rest of her professional portfolio – and raising her two children.

Marisol [photograph]

Marisol Holme

Marisol is working with us as content and marketing executive. She has an interest in writing and drama and is a vocalist for a band. She previously worked in nurseries as an early years practitioner.

Amanda Hayward, Art Director [photograph]

Amanda Hayward, Art Director

Amanda is an experienced creative director who has worked for global agencies across the world. Her work has been used on campaigns for Microsoft, Reebok and Heineken. She has also designed for education initiatives like ‘Mission X Train Like an Astronaut’ for the UK Space Agency and Venture Thinking, and science publications for the Institute for Research in Schools.

Anna Morris [photograph]

Anna Forsström Morris, Creative Programme Manager

Anna has over a decade of experience working in the creative industries, from managing a literature festival to a dance venue and has spent her career supporting young people and communities in getting their ideas off the ground and delivering high impact projects and events. Anna is passionate about access and careers in the creative arts sector. She feels so privileged to be working in the midst of creative ideas and talent, and is inspired by the young people she meets.

Belinda Peach (Development Manager) [photograph]

Belinda Peach, Northwest Development Manager

Belinda has over 20 years of experience working in the Film, TV and Creative Media talent and skills sector. Based in the Northwest Belinda has supported and developed positive partnerships with a whole host of organisations and charities in the Film, TV, and Creative Media Sector including the Ideas Foundation, ScreenSkills, the Northern Film Offices, MAMA Youth and the Manchester trade association the MPA, with the overall objective of improving work opportunity and access to the industry for people looking to start their career, particularly those from less advantaged backgrounds.

Benedicta Joppa, Strategic Finance Business Partner [photograph]

Benedicta Joppa, Strategic Finance Business Partner

Benedicta is a fully qualified Global Chartered Management Accountant. She has worked in Europe and Africa across various sectors: insurance, civil service, manufacturing, construction, pharmaceutical, media and charity. In her spare time she loves listening music, dancing and travelling.

Angela Conway [photograph]

Angela Conway, Finance and Admin Manager

Angela is always on the money. She makes sure we pay our bills on time and keep our accountants happy. She also happens to be a fine artist, photographer and film-maker.

Anne Laforce [photograph]

Anne Laforce, Customer Relationships Systems Lead

Anne has broad industry experience in both the private and public sectors, including media, IT, education, and finance recruitment company. She started her career at the age of 18 in the hub of national newspapers in Fleet Street. Anne’s tenacity, drive and ambition helped her climb the corporate ladder. She loved working in marketing and in brand and media data research. Data became her specialty, a specific interest in analysing results to provide stories for the corporations involved.

Emma Hope (Company Secretary and Consultant.) [photograph]

Emma Hope, Company Secretary and Consultant

Emma has been working with the Ideas Foundation for over 8 years. Firstly, Emma worked with IF when delivering a social value programme for a brand, then as a volunteer and now she is in-house. Supporting us with everything from programme development, operations, and she is our company secretary. She is driven by making an impact to young people’s lives, which is why she joined us.

Shafia Fiaz, Digital Content Producer [photograph]

Shafia Fiaz, Digital Content Producer

Shafia says “Ideas Foundation have supported me from the start and gave me that little push which enabled me to showcase my potential. I attended Manchester College and have taken part in Ideas Foundation programmes with McCann, BBC, Facebook and am now delighted to be able to help the Ideas Foundation inspire other young people to be creative.”

Peter Bakare, Lead Tutor [photograph]

Peter Bakare, Lead Tutor

As an ex team GB volleyball player, motivational speaker and animator, Peter is a towering role model and inspirational mentor. Peter went to school at St Bonaventure’s, the same school in Newham that Matt attended. Peter’s other interests include Nutritroops – a healthy eating programme for primary school children.

Rachel Rands, Executive Assistant [photograph]

Rachel Rands, Executive Assistant

Rachel helps provide secretarial services to Robin Wight and the Ideas Foundation.

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