Farewell to Alice Evans

After eight incredible years, we are sad to announce that our Deputy CEO Alice Evans is leaving Lankelly Chase. Alice wants to spend more time working around systems and areas of deep contention in a more hands-on, face-to-face way than the DCEO role allows.

Alice has made an extraordinary contribution to the evolution of Lankelly Chase, and through us to the wider development of philanthropy and systemic practice. For example, as our Director of Systems Change, she brought pioneering systems thinking methodologies into the organisation and made them accessible to many of our partners. She instigated and co-designed the System Changers programme, which has supported many frontline people to use their insights and experiences to bring about wider change. She also helped launch the Elephants Series in Greater Manchester, which enables dialogue and co-production between people with lived experience and senior decision makers.

Along with her colleague Habiba Nabatu, Alice laid the foundations for our place approach, which is now in 5 places around the country. This included historical reviews and visioning exercises which culminated in the ‘system behaviours’ which have played such a pivotal role in our approach.

Alice has contributed so much more, from our communications strategy to our HR processes, from our Hard Edges series to our delegated decision-making practices. She has been a consistent and generous source of support, encouragement and inspiration to her colleagues, partners and trustees. Perhaps above all, she has always sought to amplify the voices of those who are less listened to.

Personally, I will miss working with Alice as a colleague, mentor and friend. I have benefited enormously from our collaborations and always value her contributions, energy, and good humour.

Although we are sad to say goodbye, we are excited to see what Alice will do next now that she has space beyond the responsibilities of the DCEO role. We will also keep working Alice on projects, so that we can continue to benefit from her creativity, skills and networks.

Thank you, Alice.

Julian