Meet the Staff: Bob!

Hi, I'm Bob! Operations Manager here at Northfield Community Partnership!

I’m from a small town in Derbyshire. I was brought up by a family who had a strong sense of helping people. My great-grandparents took in refugees from the Spanish civil war and my father has spent 40 years in local politics.

When I decided I wanted to go to University at 20, I wanted to go to a bigger city with more diversity. I went to Birmingham City University to study Sociology and loved living in Birmingham. After university, I returned home to my parents before moving back to Birmingham permanently in 2012. I’ve always wanted to help people through work and started to volunteer with NCP in January 2020, helping people complete the online course Learn My Way.

When the pandemic hit, I was asked to deliver medical prescriptions to people who were isolating, and then in June, to deliver food parcels. When the person running the food bank moved into a different role, I was asked to take over in September 2020. Since then, I have worked on several projects before being appointed Operations Manager in June 2024.

As Operations Manager, I am responsible for managing the charity’s buildings, including the Hub, Oddingley Hall, and Frankley Library. This involves overseeing health and safety, fire safety, security, infrastructure, services, and utilities to ensure all sites are safe, functional, and welcoming for the community.

A key part of my role is liaising with partner organisations such as Umbrella, Clarion, and GAIN, helping to facilitate their work within our spaces. I also support operations and projects by sourcing and managing equipment and supplies, as well as attending relevant meetings and events.

I contribute to reporting for funders and support wider initiatives such as the Northfield Community Pantry. As part of the Green Team, I help drive our ambition to become a more environmentally responsible organisation, with the long-term goal of positioning NCP as an anchor organisation for green initiatives across the constituency. I also facilitate our digital lending library, providing laptops and SIM card support to those who need it.

During Northfield Beach, I play an active role in organising and delivering the event. This includes booking activities, managing infrastructure and equipment, overseeing Community Alley, and coordinating staff and volunteer rotas.

I like working at NCP, using my time to help people and I feel we make a real impact on supporting people to improve their lives.