Meet Michelle
Tell us a bit about yourself
I live in Bathford with my husband and our elderly Cavapoo, Spencer. We have three adult children, one son living with us, another son in Frome and our daughter in Manchester. I grew up in East London and my husband is Welsh, so we settled in Bath 34 years ago in order to be midway between our parents.
I spent the first 20 years of my career as a Marketing/Brand Manager and my claim to fame was working with David Bailey on an advertising shoot when I was the Brand Manager for No.7 cosmetics (he was not the nicest of characters, but that’s another story…!)
At 40, I then had an epiphany about the state of the natural world and left the commercial sector to complete an MSc in Sustainability and Business at the University of Bath. I worked at the Uni as an academic for seven years before changing direction again and moving into the third sector as a fundraising/social enterprise manager for the Genesis Trust homeless charity.
My final career change was to spend the last four years in the heritage sector, managing the Beckford Tower restoration project for Bath Preservation Trust. I’m sort of retired now, but watch this space!
What inspired you to join Bath Women's Fund?
Having worked in the fundraising sector for several years I was impressed by Emma and Isobel’s vision to connect philanthropic local women with excellent local projects and have fun in the process! I like how our members can directly see the results of their giving in their local area. It gives me a feeling of pride and optimism that our collective action is making a difference to the lives of women and girls in Bath.
What are the issues that you are most passionate about?
Sustainability, and how we can learn to live within the earth’s limits, is still an issue that I care deeply about. But I’m also passionate about the social enterprise I jointly set up five years ago, called The Urban Garden, based next to the Royal Crescent. By generating sales from our Garden Centre, we are able to fund free horticultural training courses for those struggling with unemployment, mental health issues and other life challenges. Last year we trained 24 people on City & Guilds, provided 18 weekly work placements and helped five people get jobs. We’re just unpacking our Christmas stock so do come along and pay us a visit!
What would you be most interested in learning about as a Bath Women's Fund member?
I always enjoy our speaker events, and have learnt so much about the history and social fabric of Bath. But I’m also keen to hear more from the charities that we support each year to learn how our funding is making a difference to their work and what more we can do to support them. We have an amazing third sector in Bath and I’m keen to see it thrive and survive despite the current financial difficulties.
What is your favourite place/thing to do in and around Bath?
I love spending time catching up with friends in one of the fabulous cafes in Bath, with Gather in Batheaston being my current favourite! When I’m not drinking coffee I enjoy walking our dog up to Brown’s Folly (which is right on our doorstep) and being greeted by the friendly goats and marvelling at the fabulous views across Bath. It constantly reminds me just how lucky we are to live in this beautiful city.