Our Team

Emma has a background in teaching and teacher training. She worked as an English language teacher and teacher trainer for 20 years in Ecuador, Thailand, Japan and Singapore. She came back to the UK with her husband and children a few years ago to be closer to family. She first joined CUF to work on some short-term projects and found that she really enjoyed organising events and helping out the different teams in CUF so joined on a permanent basis as Executive Assistant to Rob Wickham, CUF’s Chief Executive. When Emma is not at work she enjoys hanging out with friends and family and planning adventures for them to go on. She loves cooking food from around the world, travelling and is learning all about gardening.

Kalleen joined CUF as HR and Administrative Officer in June 2024. She has more than 28 years' experience within varied HR environments including The British Museum and London Zoo.

Kalleen is passionate about music and singing and serves in the Praise and Worship ministry at her local church.

She loves spending time with family, especially where food is involved. She is an avid reader and enjoys settling down with a good book and a cuppa!

Jo has worked as a Programme and Project Manager in the education sector for over 20 years. She has also volunteered with a number of charities, supporting refugees, cancer research and animal welfare. Throughout her career Jo has led a number of programmes to help people into work through a combination of education, work experience and support.

Jo lives in South Manchester with her husband, 2 teenagers and 2 dogs. She loves getting out and about and is passionate about theatre and particularly musicals. She also has a bit of reputation for finding unusual places and events to visit with the family and dogs.

Jon joined the Near Neighbours team in 2024 as a grants administrator having worked in the NHS as a senior manager for over 20 years managing major contracts, undertaking performance analysis and improvement, as well as managing procurement and business intelligence teams.

Jon is actively involved at his church in Ipswich, working on social action projects, leading the Christians Against Poverty (CAP) Life Skills course and Money Coaching course, and chairing the multi-church CAP Debt steering group in Ipswich.

Jon lives in Suffolk with his family, he enjoys gardening and exploring the beautiful Suffolk countryside.

Madison joined Near Neighbours as a grants administrator in 2024, having previously worked for a number of mission-driven organisations in sectors ranging from sustainability to legal aid. She was born and raised in London, but obtained an M.A. in Politics from the University of Glasgow, where she also worked as an Editor for the Glasgow Guardian. She has also contributed to a number of other media publications including the Guardian and Mace Magazine, with social equality at the heart of all of her writing. In her spare time, she likes to weightlift, DJ, and help run events for the lgbt+ community in Glasgow.

Martin joined CUF in 2025. He is a certified Salesforce administrator and also runs the UK Christian Salesforce user group.

He previously worked at The Gregory Centre for Church Multiplication, Tearfund and Alpha.

He lives in East London with his family. He likes Rock music and is a trustee for an outreach to Goths and Metalheads in Central London.

Ifeoma joined CUF in January 2025, bringing a broad range of experience in marketing and communications across various industries, including charities and education. She is passionate about using her skills to drive positive change and connect with others on a meaningful level.

Outside of work, Ifeoma enjoys going to the gym and trying new experiences. She also volunteers with charities, as she believes in the importance of making intentional connections and contributing to causes that align with her values.

Cora joined CUF finance in June 2023, she has degrees in both Applied Accounting and Business Administration. She is working closely with finance manager Paul to ensure CUF’s purchase & sales ledgers are maintained in an accurate and timely manner. She supports the finance team in many aspects of work, such as bi-monthly suppliers’ payment run, staff and visitors’ expenses, gift aid claims, grants disbursement, annual auditing, and month end procedures.

In her spare time, she enjoys music, folk dance, nature, spending time with family and friends, and volunteering in the local community events.

Kate joined CUF in 2021 as a Regional Manager for a homelessness project being delivered across the Yorkshire region. Kate has over 20 years experience in housing management, working for a number of large housing associations in West Yorkshire, before moving more into learning and development side of tenant support. Working within her current role Kate feels she has come back to her roots, in an almost full circle moment and is able use her knowledge and skills to work with smaller local charities on their projects supporting some of the most vulnerable members of our society.

Kate lives in Yorkshire with her 3 daughters, and enjoys spending keeping fit and active and watching her daughters play football.

I serve as a Positive Pathways Navigator with Church Urban Fund, where I collaborate with the Doncaster Starting Point Team to empower individuals exiting homelessness. My role involves guiding these individuals toward sustainable housing and facilitating their integration into the community.

Throughout my career, I have developed and coached individuals to achieve their full potential. I am passionate about lifelong learning, I believe in creating opportunities for personal development through education, training, and employment. My work is driven by a commitment to making a lasting impact on the lives of those I support.

In addition to my professional work, I am a committed volunteer, serving as an Independent Visitor for young people in care. In this role, I act as a positive adult role model, providing 1-2-1 time and space for young people to talk, feel listened to, valued, and simply have some fun. This experience has reinforced my belief in the power of personal connections to create meaningful change.

Outside of work, I enjoy running and taking long walks, often trying to keep up with my energetic spaniel. Music is another passion of mine, having previously sung and played guitar in a band.