Meet our team

Get to know us

Cam Kinsella

Aster Foundation director

As Director of the Aster Foundation, Cam is responsible for running the charity and delivering its vision ‘to enable better lives.’ Cam leads the teams responsible for delivering impact programmes across areas such as employment, mental wellness and resilience, homelessness, financial wellbeing, Ageing well (55+), social entrepreneurship, and volunteering; as well as the income generation team and social impact team.

Cam is a disrupter in the community investment space and specialist in finding creative solutions to social challenges through partnership. Cam uses her expertise in these areas alongside her personal life experiences (which you can read more about through her blog) through her role as Aster Foundation Director.

Before joining Aster, Cam focussed on her passion for inclusion by working across the social housing sector supporting organisations to become leaders in the field of diversity and inclusion; most recently helping Merlin Housing to become one of the top five most inclusive companies in the UK. She has volunteered as a diversity advisor to Merseyside Police and due to her passion for communities and removing inequalities, been awarded many diversity accolades such as the Unsung hero award in the Excellence in Diversity awards.

Chris Stenlake

Head of Social Impact

Chris started his career as an exploration geologist where he discovered a love of understanding the difference being made by connecting data with the impact activities have on people.

Chris and his team work to understand the difference we are making with people in our communities, colleagues, partners, and other charitable organisations. His team’s key focus is maximising the social impact of the Aster Foundation as well as amplifying the voice and opinions of people in our communities. The team does this through understanding and measuring the impact of all the Aster Foundation’s activities and through thought leadership and research which is easier to understand, visualise and drive long lasting change.

Daran Bailey

Mental Wellness and Resilience Lead

Daran is our Wellness and Resilience Programme Lead. He is a Gold Standard Mental Health First Aid trainer, Psychotherapist, Resilience Practitioner, Mindfulness instructor, and Mental Wellbeing in The Workplace Coach who has multiple years of experience gained through commissioning mental health services with the NHS and through his private practice as a Psychotherapist.

His work has led to many achievements and awards, notably an award given at the House of Lords for his work with young people and improving mental wellbeing in the workplace. While working as a trainer/ instructor, Daran has trained more than 5,500 people and supported large corporations including the BBC, L.V Insurance, schools, and voluntary community organisations to make a real difference in the field of mental health and wellbeing.

Chris Bond

Social impact and Analytics Lead

Chris’ role as impact and analytics lead is to build an understanding of how the Foundation, and Aster as a whole, benefits colleagues, customers, and the wider community. Chris measures the impact Aster have in making a positive difference in people’s lives. He has a long background in business improvement, through Lean Six Sigma, and a desire to use his talents in behavioural and data analytics for the good of Aster’s community.

Gill Roberts

Volunteering and Sustainability Lead

Gill’s work for the Foundation focuses on volunteering, which includes supporting our online volunteering platform, Aster VIP. When she isn’t supporting the Aster Foundation, Gill volunteers for different organisations, including environmental charities and the Cystic Fibrosis Trust which is a charity that is very close to her heart. Gill supports them where possible getting involved with events and fundraising.

Gill has previously worked supporting others in a care environment and enabling people to live at home independently. She is passionate about the environment and about making a difference in our communities through volunteering.

Tamsin Southby

inc. Programme Lead

Tamsin is the lead for our social incubator inc. and is the main point of contact for all things entrepreneur related.

Tamsin’s grandfather was a revolutionary inventor and creator of the flexible police road signage, that has saved thousands of lives worldwide and is still seen on the roads today. She holds a plethora of experience within the social care field as a front-line NHS practitioner, service manager, youth and family intervention officer and a mental health recovery worker as well as being an entrepreneur herself. Tamsin is happiest when helping or coaching people and loves her work in the Foundation!

Our Trustee board members

Amanda joins the Aster Foundation having championed the interests of consumers and service users for over 25 years. Amanda has worked at senior levels having served as a government appointee within the rail industry and also as a lay inspector for the Social Services Inspectorate. She has also previously served on the board of a housing association, becoming lead member for housing as well as equality and diversity champion.

Amanda’s other roles have included being a board member of the Environmental Protection Advisory Committee and as a National Independent Advisory Group member for the British Transport Police. Most pertinently, Amanda also brings her own lived experience to the role, having found safety and security within housing associations for the first time as a younger single mother.

Farhan has gained substantial experience of the corporate world through his roles with “big four”
accounting and consultancy firms. He is an entrepreneur with a focus on innovation and now runs his own business. He brings broad corporate experience and knowledge of business consultancy, accountancy and a great network which will be vital in the early days of the charity.

Clive has a great understanding of Aster Group and extensive finance industry experience and a solid understanding of the types of risk management and the funding which may be available to our charity. This an integral part of our income generation plan which enables us to run the charity and also deliver our impact programmes.

Mat’s strong background in corporate services with additional experience of innovation and start up
enterprises from higher education, will be of enormous value to our charity. He also brings strong accountancy and business skills, along with a full appreciation of the Aster Foundations aspirations following his continued voluntary involvement and support of areas such as Aster inc. (social incubator) to date.