Meet the Team

Georgina Awoonor-Gordon

Director of Grants and Impact

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Georgina brings over 20 years of project management experience, with 15+ years in the non-profit sector. As Director of Grants and Impact at Vision Foundation, she has strategic leadership on all our grant making, ensuring that our funded projects positively impact the lives of visually impaired people. Her most recent previous experience includes Diaspora Finance Lead at Comic Relief, Senior Consultant at Crown Agents and Director of Programmes at Chance for Childhood UK. She is a Trustee for the Sierra Leone Cancer Charity and AFRUCA – Safeguarding Children. She loves spending time with her two super funny kids (and dog Pebbles!) – dancing and watching Avengers movies.

Phil Beaven

Director of Retail Operations

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With a retail career spanning over twenty five years, Phil has held a number of senior leadership roles overseeing retail operations for premium and lifestyle brands such as ECCO, Sebago, Merrell and Hush Puppies and has focused on establishing new concepts in the UK for both domestic and international brands. As Director of Retail at Vision Foundation he provides strategic direction and leadership for our retail operations, and is passionate about building high performing teams to deliver memorable customer experiences. Out of work he enjoys spending time with his family, gardening, travelling and trying to perfect his baking with his daughter. Phil volunteers his time as a group mentor for DofE, supporting students at his children’s school to achieve their ‘Bronze’ award.

Rebecca Clarke

Head of Events and Community Fundraising (currently on maternity leave)

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Rebecca heads up our events and community fundraising team, leading our high-profile special events, challenge event teams, thousands of community collection boxes and everything in between. Rebecca has led events for charities and not-for-profit organisations for the last 10 years and loves the buzz of event day. Prior to joining the Vision Foundation Rebecca managed the special events for Women for Women International and Sparks. Outside of work Rebecca enjoys travelling, exploring new places and countries. She also loves baking and can usually be relied upon to have a cake or two on the go!

John Claxton

Community Fundraiser and Collector

Olivia Curno

Chief Executive

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Born and raised in south London, Olivia is driven by the belief that everyone should be able to enjoy the vibrant cultural, social, and economic riches of the city she loves. As Chief Executive at the Vision Foundation, she is responsible for the strategic direction of the organisation, supporting the teams to raise significant funds and make significant noise, and ensuring that everything we do has the greatest possible impact for London’s partially sighted and blind people. Olivia was previously the Director of Fundraising at children’s mental health charity Place2Be and Head of Fundraising and Communications at autism research charity Autistica. She has volunteered widely in the sector internationally and at home, and is currently a Trustee of UK poverty charity Turn2us. Before joining the charitable sector Olivia was a researcher and lecturer in Evolutionary Biology.

Annabel Dickson

Office Manager & Executive Assistant

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Annabel leads on office management and executive support to our CEO, Board and ELT. She has a background in start-ups as co-founder of the award-winning crowdfunder events team at YFN in 2008 and Fllathropy*. In 2013 she joined tech for good software company Makerble and became co-founder and COO. Her experience is a start-up mix across operations, grants, events, finance and impact and she loves to enable others to thrive. Outside of work Annabel finds herself often on a canal side or out on a wander with friends. She is also an alumni of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers.

Elnaz Faghihi

Finance Manager

Elnaz graduated with a First in Mathematical Sciences from Oxford Brookes University before embarking on a career in finance.

In the past 11 years, she has worked for many non-profit organisations including The Royal Marsden and Blood Cancer UK, making her way from an intern to Finance Manager. As well as her day job she has also embraced the voluntary sides of the charities, being heavily involved in fundraising events and most recently supporting the NHS during lockdown. Away from work, Elnaz lives in South London with her partner, enjoys rainy days, bingeing terrible tv shows and spending quality time with her friends and family.

Amy Faulkner

Interim Head of Individual Giving, Events and Community Fundraising

Louise Franklin

Head of Corporate Partnerships 

• • • • • Connect with Louise on LinkedIn

Louise heads up and manages our corporate partnerships function, and has been working in fundraising for over 8 years with a particular focus on corporate and strategic partnerships. Prior to joining the Vision Foundation Louise helped lead the new business team at Cancer Research UK, and oversaw the development and implementation of a third party event partnerships function at Save the Children UK. She enjoys volunteering in her spare time, and has volunteered with both international and UK organisations who focus on conservation and international development. She also enjoys getting out and about in the countryside and travelling.

Khafsa Ghulam

Grants and Partnerships Officer (currently on maternity leave)

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Khafsa graduated with a degree in Psychology with Sociology from Nottingham Trent University and has worked extensively in the charity sector both in a voluntary and paid capacity. Prieviously Khafsa worked as a disability Benefits Advisor for Citizens Advice and at RNIB co-ordinating engagement strategies for young people. A previous trustee and Chair for Sight Concern Bedfordshire Khafsa has also volunteered as a mentor for young people for Look UK. In her spare time Khafsa plays VI Tennis and has a keen interest in access technology and the rights of blind and partially sighted people to be treated equally.

Dimple Ichharam

Grants Manager

Dimple has worked in fundraising for over a decade, specialising in Charitable Trusts and Foundations. She has a BA in English Language and Communication from King’s College University of London and certificate in Fundraising Management from the Institute of Fundraising. Prior to joining the Vision Foundation Dimple managed the Trusts function at the children’s charity Starlight Children’s Foundation. Outside of the office, Dimple can be found in a hot yoga class or making soap.

Lorraine Lee

Head of Retail

Lorraine manages our retail operation comprising seven charity shops across London, a collections service and online shop. Lorraine’s working life has always been in retail, previously owning and managing three clothing shops and a pet store. Lorraine was prompted to join the Vision Foundation when her mother was diagnosed with macular degeneration and she slowly watched her lose her sight. Lorraine has been with the charity since 1996 growing the retail side of the organisation from a small team of just 8 volunteers to more than a hundred with a healthy financial return. In her spare time Lorraine loves spending time with her grandchildren.

Olly Minton

Director of Finance and Resources

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Olly heads the teams for Finance, HR, ICT and Facilities at Vision Foundation, as well as acting as company secretary and leading the charity’s safeguarding and risk management. He came from a background in healthcare, most recently as Head of Finance at Great Ormond Street Hospital, but also a spell working with blind and partially sighted patients at Moorfields Eye Hospital. He is also the Treasurer and a Trustee of Doorstep Library, and a School Governor at a primary school in Buckinghamshire. Out of work, he is a bibliophile, a keen hiker, and an enthusiastic wine drinker.

Jess Muckleston

Individual Giving Officer

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Jess provides support across all areas of the fundraising team, with particular focus on Individual Giving, Events and Community fundraising. Prior to joining the Vision Foundation, Jess completed a bachelor’s degree at the University of Winchester, specialising in English Literature. Alongside her degree, Jess worked closely with the Trusts and Individual Giving teams at Brendoncare, where she took on the role of Fundraising Assistant. In her spare time, Jess enjoys competitive swimming and has a keen interest in travelling and exploring new places with friends.

Lindsey Paul

Community Fundraiser and Collector

Monica Smith

Centenary Appeal Manager

• • • • • Connect with Monica on Linkedin

Monica has been working as a charity fundraiser for the last 13 years. Prior to joining the Vision Foundation, Monica worked at Variety, the Children’s Charity, as their Trusts and Legacies Manager and at Gingerbread, as their Trusts and Grants Manager. She is also a trustee and treasurer of Metro Blind Sport. Monica is leading the development of a £1 million Major Appeal to mark the Vision Foundation’s centenary anniversary in 2021. Monica, who is severely sight impaired, has 3 children, who have all flown the nest, and enjoys many sports – tandem cycling, sailing, swimming and blind tennis through Metro which she absolutely loves. She wants to excel in everything she does, challenge perceptions about what people believe blind people can do and be a role model for other visually impaired people.

Megan Steinberg

Communications, Fundraising and Administration Officer

• • • • • Connect with Megan on Linkedin

Chris Sutton

Database Manager