Our aims and objectives, impact on the ground and how we operate within a federation of charities.
The main themes of our work and some of our most important initiatives
What we can do for the wide range of people and organisations that we work with.
Find out the latest about how we're changing places and lives.
Further your career or help us make a difference.
How to get in touch with our team
Peter joined the team in May 2009. He was previously the Community Affairs Manager for News International for 12 years, where amongst his other tasks he chaired the Charity Committee and Staff Environment Group. Prior to his work at News International Peter was employed as the Community Infrastructure Manager for the London Docklands Development Corporation during the transformation of the East London area. He has over 30 years experience of community development, regeneration and refugee work.
Peter has been a Trustee of numerous UK and overseas charities and has degrees in Peace Studies and South East Asian Studies. He is very keen to bring the experience he has gained to the South Essex region.
Tony joined the team in July 2008. He was previously Head of Supporter Development for Arthritis Care in London and has 10 years experience in the third sector. Working for a diverse range of national organisations, his career started in charity finance and he qualified as an Accounting Technician before moving across into strategic marketing, fundraising and development.
He lives locally in Leigh on Sea and is committed to improving the greenspace environment and enhancing community resources.
Sarah Piccolo joined Groundwork South Essex in February 2012 as our office administrator. Sarah had attended and completed a course with the youth east project on employability and personal development, run by Groundwork South Essex.
Sarah’s dedication and work ethic impressed the youth east project leaders and as a result they recommended her for the position of office administrator. In this role Sarah takes on a variety of tasks helping to maintain the smooth operation of the office including filing, manning the front of house placing stationary orders and helping around the office.
Away from work Sarah is kept busy by her young daughter and she enjoys taking her to the park. In her free time she is currently decorating her new home, and going out with friends and family or shopping in-between.
Josie joined Groundwork South Essex as the Education Officer in September 2008. She was previously employed as an education coordinator for LMB a textile recycling company, and brings experience of working as an NGO in a wide variety of schools across Essex on environmental issues to her current role.
After completing her MSc in Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare, Josie started her career at an organic charity conducting researching into organic farming. Within this role she was involved in school collaboration projects which sparked her passionate for education, food and farming and the environment.
Josie is a keen vegetable gardener and keeps a small flock of free-range hens.
Ginette joined Groundwork South Essex in March 2009 having previously volunteered with our Greengrid Taskforce.
As a Senior Project Officer, Ginette was responsible for the Future Jobs Fund team and now supervises the Green Team, working with them on various projects across the area including the Green Team Gardening scheme for elderly and vulnerable adults.
The Team also work with Castle Point Wildlife Group on various projects in West Wood and North Benfleet Hall Wood.
Ginette owns a classic Mini Cooper (ie a proper Mini!) and a Land Rover Defender and has a love of the great outdoors.
Kim works for the South Essex trust on a part time basis. She joined our neighbouring Groundwork trust Kent & Medway in December 2006, after qualifying with a Diploma in Landscape Architecture. She had previously worked in small design and build companies for private clients in London and the South East. She has over 10 years experience in the landscape industry. Groundwork was an opportunity to work on a larger scale and with a multitude of clients from developers, local authorities, parish councils, community based groups and school.
During her time at Groundwork Kim achieved Chartered Status to the Landscape Institute and now has proven track record in community engagement, design, tendering, planning applications, and contract management. She is also trained as a CDM coordinator and project manager.
Kim said “Landscape Architecture covers all aspects of the "science, planning, design, implementation and management of landscapes and their environment in urban and rural areas and the assessment, conservation, development, creation and sustainability of landscapes with a view to promoting landscapes which are aesthetically pleasing, functional and ecologically and biologically healthy and which when required are able to accommodate the built environment in all its forms". I take my role as a Chartered Landscape Architect seriously and uphold the objects of the Landscape Institute’s charter to “protect, conserve, and enhance the natural and built environment for the benefit of the public”.
Prior to heading the Low Carbon Business team in his capacity as Programme Manager, Peter Wognum was founder and CEO of Biz4Green Limited, a single-source supplier of technology supported solutions that drive new (better) behaviours to reduce business operating costs driven by carbon reduction measures. Biz4Green was launched as a vehicle to encourage and assist businesses of all sizes take pragmatic and, in most cases, no- or low cost, actions to significantly lower their carbon footprint whilst measurably reducing their operating costs.
During his career Peter has held a number of positions as operations director and global development director in the automotive, healthcare, education, finance and retail fashion sectors. After escalating a personal passion into a corporate activity by creating Biz4Green, he also worked with companies in areas as diverse as the financial, banking, construction, consulting, recruitment, aviation and training sectors.
Until recently, he also wrote a lively, twice weekly, column for Director of Finance Online, joining the dots between the practices of cost reduction and carbon reduction... something he will return to, as soon as the world stops spinning quite so fast!
Rob joined the team in May from 2 years in an energy assessment role in the housing sector. Having originally graduated as a Biomedical Scientist, he went on to spend 4 years in pharmaceuticals before moving into the Public sector in a mental health role with the Court of Protection. His subsequent work on the Lyons Inquiry at the Treasury on community engagement and place-shaping, coupled with his field knowledge of energy efficiency surveying & advice led to him filling this post.
His interests include playing sports, particularly football and golf, throwing himself down a mountain and doing the odd bit of travelling in between. He has a keen interest in nature and getting out and about.
Maria joined Groundwork South Essex as part of the Future Jobs Fund scheme in September, 2010 and became ERDF Programme Administrator in July, 2011. Prior to this, Maria read Biology and obtained a masters by research in the field of Plant Developmental Genetics at the University of Durham. After leaving university, Maria spent time volunteering at RSPB Rainham Marshes and at Belhus Woods Country Park.
In her free time Maria enjoys hill walking, cross-stitching, knitting and playing Warhammer. She is an avid reader and writes reviews of books due to be published or from small publishers. Maria is learning HTML and PERL, is learning bell ringing and has recently discovered the joy of cryptic crosswords. Maria hopes one day to be a polar explorer.
Charlotte joined Groundwork in May 2010. She is passionate about environmental action and after university started a project to improve her local park. She used this experience when she joined Groundwork Hertfordshire in 2001 to enable and support communities to improve their own local environments. She then worked for a Suffolk Local Authority as a Sustainable Development Officer, setting up policy and procedures, developing partnerships, giving advice on energy efficiency and organising/delivering events and workshops.
Charlotte enjoys a challenge and is looking forward to using her engagement and awareness raising skills within the SME sector.
Chris joined the South Essex Trust in March 2010 as the Grants Officer for the ERDF Leading a Low Carbon Economy Programme. After qualifying with a BA (Hons) degree from DeMontfort University Bedford in 2002, he worked for the Government of the day as a political researcher within the Houses of Parliament. Following this Chris worked for a small benevolent organisation before being given the opportunity to work with The Royal British Legion until 2009 when a chance to work within a number of local authorities, including Southend and Thurrock, presented itself which eventually led to him to become involved with Groundwork South Essex and the Low Carbon Programme.
Working with Groundwork has given Chris an opportunity to utilise his skills in partnership building, community engagement, grant making as well as contract management and compliance. This has been made possible due to the opportunity with the Low Carbon Programme to work on a large scale with a multitude of clients from local authority partners, business networks, community based groups and small and medium enterprises from across South Essex.
As well as his full time job with Groundwork South Essex Chris also serves in HM Armed Forces as a Rifleman with 7 Rifles Territorial Army unit based in West Ham, London.
David joined the team in September 2011to aid and support the Low Carbon Business Team. David joined the team after graduating from the University of East Anglia in July 2011, with a degree in Environmental Science. This has given him knowledge and a passion for environmental issues, especially in climate change and public perceptions.
His interests include watching lots of different sports as well as being a keen runner. He has always lived locally in Thundersley and is passionate about climate change and the local environment.
Seb joined Groundwork as a support officer for the Low Carbon Business programme in February 2012. This was after graduating from the University of Portsmouth in July with a degree in Entertainment technology. Although not working in environmental sciences previously, Seb was passionate about carbon reduction and is pleased to progress this enthusiasm from a personal level into an occupation.
His personal interests include travelling as well as skiing and snowboarding abroad. He is also an avid runner. He has lived in the Castle Point district all of his life and is passionate about the upkeep of this local area.
