Joan Geany - skills

Skills

Background

My lifelong involvement in social enterprise began in 1972 when I was a founder member of a music co-operative and a food co-operative while working full time in London. Since then I have been involved in the social economy in many different voluntary and paid positions.

Since 2001 I have been working as a freelance consultant and in 2003 I was appointed as a neighbourhood renewal adviser.

Transferable skills

•	Organisational management
•	Personnel management, training & development
•	Strategy and policy development including promotion
•	Leadership and operational management
•	Innovative project design
•	Representation and influencing
•	Research, interviewing and report writing
•	Ideas generation
•	Local and community economic development
•	Inclusive management principles and practice
•	Conflict resolution and negotiation
•	Support for community-led initiatives
•	Design of training and development programmes
•	Monitoring, review and evaluation
•	Business planning, development and support
•	Financial planning and management
•	Funding strategies and applications

Partnership working

I have very extensive experience of working in partnerships including:

•	Lambeth First LSP
•	Rochdale LSP
•	LSC ESF Co-Financing Pan-London Partnership
•	Craghead Neighbourhood Management Partnership
•	European Partnerships - DGV, DG XX111, HORIZON 1&2, ADAPT 1&2
•	County Durham Economic Development Partnership
•	Darlington Social and Economic Partnership
•	Derwentside District Economic Development Forum
•	Derwentside District Community Forum
•	Objective 2 Regional and local partnerships - several sub committees including Government Office
•	North East Community Economic Development Thematic Advisory Panel
•	One Voice - A partnership of the voluntary and community sector in Durham
•	Single Regeneration Partnerships - From SRB1 - 6 (numerous)

Achievements

1987	First worker buyout in Durham (followed by several others)
1989	Pioneered co-operatives for people for disabilities - forerunner to social firms
1992	Transfer of government hostel for the homeless to employee ownership
1993	Set up first community co-operative for market traders
1993	Set up first day care co-operative
1994	Positive about Disabled People status
1994	Rescue of home care facility by conversion from private company to employee ownership
1995	Hosted national conference for disabled people working in co-operatives
1996	Lead partner in two major European transnational projects
1997	The UK's first crime prevention co-operative set up in rural West Durham
1998	Supported 31 community groups in raising over £2m for community led projects
1998	Transfer of Derwentside Leisure Services to 150 local authority staff & community
2000	Investor in People award
2001	Bid of over £560.000 approved by DTI phoenix development fund
2001	Successful first stage bid to Leader+ for rural partnership in South West England
2002	Community enterprise strategy for County Durham
2003	Successful bid to East London LSC for workforce development in the black and minority ethnic community
2004	Successful bid to pan-London LSC for training provision for young people
2004	Successful bid to DTI phoenix development fund for social enterprise project involving mental health charity working in partnership with BME business support agency
2005	Reviewed strategic commissioning from the voluntary sector in Lambeth
2006	Successful bid to London Development Agency for business improvement among mostly BME owned SMEs