Justlife is a Community Interest Company, is a voluntary sector organisation managed by a team of directors with a strong track record of creating innovative, sustainable community projects. Justlife currently operates in Manchester and Brighton.

Service Users

People who access our services are mainly those living in temporary, B&B and shared accommodation in and around Higher Openshaw, Manchester  and Grand Parade, Brighton.

Volunteers

Justlife has a team of volunteers who are eager to serve the this community. In the past 12 months 28 volunteers have given 2976 hours to Justlife. These dedicated people are the engine room of Justlife and they are the type of people who wake up in the and morning vote, by their actions, for the type of community they want to live in. These volunteers represent a vast experience and understanding of the complexities of community work in Openshaw as well as first hand personal experience of living with drug and alcohol dependency and vulnerability.

Staff

Ruth Cox

Ruth is the Centre Manager at Justlife, Manchester. Prior to this, she worked for the charity ‘Oasis’ for more than 20 years, establishing a vocational training project and subsequent tailoring business in Mumbai, India for vulnerable young women. Subsequently Ruth set up an import/sales operation in Manchester for what became known as the Jacobs Well business in the UK. This work was replicated in other cities and countries where Oasis was working and Ruth’s role grew to provide support, guidance and design input to these various Learning and Livelihoods initiatives in other parts of India, Zimbabwe, Uganda and South Africa. Ruth’s passion is to see people flourish, receiving the support, advice and ‘tools’ (job skills/training etc) that they need in order to become independent whilst also deeply connected to their local communities.

Matt Lloyd

Matt is employed full time as the Lead Project Worker for Justlife Manchester. He has been with Justlife since March 2009 and is an integral part of the team. Matt heads up key-working with service users and works on a one-2-one basis, journeying with people with chaotic lifestyles to address issues and move forward. His role also includes training volunteers and placement students to take on key working and expanding the project work team. Matt’s excellent relationships with other agencies enable him to partner with services to ensure support programmes are put in place.

Alex Rose

Working from Justlife Manchester, Alex has established, and currently runs, Justlife’s work helping people move towards and into employment. She provides key creative, systems, fundraising and IT support across the organisation and has been involved in several consultancy projects conducted by Justlife. Previously, Alex worked with refugees and asylum seekers in Yorkshire and has a background in communications and design. Alex is passionate about the vision of Justlife and the community in which it sits.

Nigel Fyles

Nigel is managing the Private Rented Sector Scheme (PRS) project at Justlife, funded by Crisis. This project supports homeless and vulnerable adults into private rented sector tenancies and works with landlords and other agencies to ensure the tenancies are sucessful. Nigel is a qualified social worker and has 12 years experience working in the substance misuse and homelessness field. He has worked in this sector in Manchester for 10 years.

Simon Gale

Simon Gale works one day a week helping to set up the new Justlife project in Brighton. In his role Simon has helped to set up the project and is working with the Justlife leadership to establish its strategic direction, as well as engaging with other local service providers, recruiting volunteers and reporting back to the board. As well as Justlife Simon also works for Regenerate, a London based youth project where he is the Finance & Operations Director, as well as facilitating a network of grassroots community projects in Brighton & Hove.

Directors

Gary Bishop

Managing Director of Justlife and Director of Justlife CIC

Gary has worked in Third Sector leadership for over twenty years and has extensive experience of leadership at operational, management and strategic levels. Starting out as a youth worker in Brighton he studied Youth and Community studies with the University of Wales before moving to Manchester in 2000.

From 2000 – 2007 he was the leader of a pioneering community project in Openshaw, East Manchester where he gained unique insights into urban communities and the complex issues facing communities affected by deprivation From February 2007 -2009 Gary provided strategic support to an international charity helping them to develop community projects in North West England and also worked as an Associate of The Cooperative College where he regularly delivers CMI accredited leadership training to third sector leaders.

In December 2008 Gary was awarded the Independent Newspaper Scholarship to study for and MBA at Durham Business School. Gary has now completed his MBA, adding strong business skills to Gary’s depth of experience in the community sector.  http://www.independent.co.uk/student/postgraduate/postgraduate-study/leaders-with-a-vision-for-change-1479591.html

Gary is very instrumental in the development of Justlife not only with new projects in Manchester but also taking a keen interest in the new work in Brighton. He has also recently been providing consultancy services to PCTs, housing associations and Social Enterprises in Hastings, London, Leeds and Blackburn.

Daniel Jones

Director of Justlife CIC and Charity

is a qualified accountant who moved to Openshaw in 2002 to study for an MBA at Manchester Business School whilst volunteering with the Eden project. Having gained a distinction in his MBA he went on to his current role as Finance Director for Technology and Global Operations at Barclays Bank.

Dr. Alastair Jones

Chair of the Board for Justlife Charity

Alastair is the CEO of Frontier Youth Trust and has previously held a national leadership role within The Salvation Army and national board level experience with the JNC council. He also has vast experience of charity and community work in Manchester and across the UK.

Steve Coles

Director of Justlife CIC

Steve works extensively in the field of social enterprise and social impact. He is the Managing Director of Intentionality CIC, a social impact measurement consultancy, and is also the Social Enterprise Development Manager for The Salvation Army across the UK. He is a trustee of two charities, a Fellow of the RSA and an Ambassador for Social Enterprise UK. Steve is married with two young boys.

Hannah Bishop

Director of Justlife CIC

Hannah is a registered nurse and is a founding director of Justlife.  Her main employment is as a practice nurse at Oak Medical Centre in Brighton. Whilst in Manchester she was seconded part time to work at the Justlife Health and Enterprise Centre providing health promotion, advice and treatment. More recently has been involved in setting up the Brighton drop in services.

Hannah Reeves

Director of Justlife CIC

Hannah has worked in the housing sector since 2005 and is currently Regional Manager for Great Places Housing Group, Manchester Region - involved in developing and managing affordable housing and community support projects across the North West. As well as a First class degree in Business (Liverpool, 2003) she has a Distinction PGDip in Housing Practice (Salford, 2007) and is a fully qualified corporate member of the Chartered Institute of Housing. Hannah lives in Openshaw, close to the Manchester Justlife centre, is an active member of Openshaw Community Church and is passionate about urban mission and community transformation.

Laura Neilson

Director of Justlife Foundation

Laura Neilson has lived and worked within deprived communities for the past decade. She is passionate social justice and out of this desire set up Hope Citadel Healthcare, a social enterprise providing NHS GP services in Greater Manchester. She is also a junior doctor working in a local hospital.