Our People
The What Works Centre Wellbeing operated from 2014 to 2024.
It was led by a board of voluntary Directors and activities were delivered by a diverse, multidisciplinary team, supported by additional freelance and contracted expertise and a wide
range of collaborating partners. A wider voluntary advisory panel representing key sectors and audiences gave quality assurance.
Here is the staffing record from the time of closure
on 30 April 2024
Meet our teams
Kate Shurety
Interim Programme Director - Campaign to End Loneliness
Suzy Morrissey
Interim Corporate Services Manager
Suzy Morrissey
Interim Corporate Services Manager
Suzy joined the Centre in December 2023 on a fixed-term basis to support the organisation’s planned closure.
Previously, she worked on wellbeing at NZ Treasury, where she led the policy and engagement work for the Living Standards Framework, the basis for the ‘Wellbeing Budgets’.
Suzy has a PhD in Taxation (policy and gender) and started her career by qualifying as a Chartered Accountant (CA) and was subsequently awarded Fellowship (FCA).
Suzy’s research focus is gender equity and paid and unpaid work.
Tilly Trinder
Senior Communications Officer - Campaign to End Loneliness
Tilly Trinder
Senior Communications Officer - Campaign to End Loneliness
Shahina Kabir
Communications and Editorial Manager
Shahina Kabir
Communications and Editorial Manager
Shahina has over 10 years of experience working in communication roles for the charity sector, including organisations that specialise in mental health, caring and bowel cancer.
Shahina joined the Centre in April 2023, leading on the Centre’s flagship weekly blog and newsletter and the planning, strategy and management of social media channels.
Shahina Kabir Blogs
Nancy Hey
Executive Director
Nancy Hey
Executive Director
Nancy Hey is a global leader in the field of wellbeing.
Prior to setting up the Centre, she worked in the UK Civil Service in nine departments as a policy professional and coach, delivering cross UK Government policies including on constitutional reform.
She has worked with the UK’s top civil servants to introduce wellbeing into public policy and to establish the professional policy community in the UK. She has degrees in law and in coaching and development, specialising in emotions, and is a passionate advocate for learning systems.
Nancy Hey Blogs
Joanne Smithson
Head of Implementation & Learning
Joanne Smithson
Head of Implementation & Learning
Joanne works with governments and health organisations bringing expertise in wellbeing policy and practice.
Joanne joined the Centre in 2019 as Implementation lead for Local Government & Health. In 2021 she was appointed Head of Implementation & Learning.
During her time with the Centre she has delivered a wide portfolio of projects including maximising the wellbeing impact of place-based policy, improving staff wellbeing in schools and colleges and understanding how Board-level wellbeing roles, including NHS Health & Wellbeing Guardians were being delivered in practice.
She provided expert advice to international governments and major global cities on the development of wellbeing frameworks including London, Manchester, Vancouver and Stockholm, and worked with the UK Office of Health Improvement & Disparities on wellbeing profiles for UK towns and cities. Her research on working with terminal illness was awarded Marie Curie’s Clair Fisher Research Impact Award 2024.
Joanne Smithson Blogs
Stefanie Barczy
Head of Corporate Services
Stefanie Barczy
Head of Corporate Services
Margherita Musella
Evidence Associate
Margherita Musella
Evidence Associate
Margherita Musella is an evaluator and researcher with over 10 years’ experience in mixed-method research, impact evaluation, and rapid systematic reviews of public health, employability and social interventions.
Margherita joined the Centre in July 2019 to lead on the review and synthesis of evidence from wellbeing evaluation research, including management of rapid evidence assessments.
She possesses in-depth knowledge of evaluation approaches and evidence translation practices. She holds an MSc in Social Policy, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Systematic Review methodology.
Margherita Musella Blogs
Ingrid Abreu Scherer
Senior Civil Society Lead
Ingrid Abreu Scherer
Senior Civil Society Lead
Ingrid works with charities, social enterprises and those who support them to develop effective programmes and build the evidence on what really works.
Since joining the Centre in 2015, she has commissioned and managed numerous evidence projects, including on the role of volunteering on wellbeing, the creative pathways to wellbeing, and the impact of Covid-19 on wellbeing inequalities.
She has developed a number of guides and resources for charities, including the Online Guide to Measuring Wellbeing Impact, a Brief Guide to Measuring Loneliness, and a Guide to Effective Case Studies.
She supports voluntary organisations, civil society funders and policy makers to develop wellbeing theories of change and robust and proportionate evaluation approaches.
Ingrid Abreu Scherer Blogs
Rachel Viomesnil
Team Administrator
Stewart Martin
Community Wellbeing Lead
Stewart Martin
Community Wellbeing Lead
Stewart is a passionate community wellbeing advocate with extensive experience in evidence-based policy implementation and project management.
Stewart joined the Centre in October 2021, where he collaborated with organisations and researchers to address evidence gaps, develop resources, and facilitate the use of global knowledge on wellbeing, focusing on civil society and community wellbeing projects.
He is currently pursuing a PhD studying the implementation of wellbeing frameworks, and is mission lead for The National Lottery Community Fund’s England Portfolio review, leading on ‘supporting communities to come together’.
Stewart Martin Blogs
Robyn Bignall-Donnelly
Head of Communications and Digital
Robyn Bignall-Donnelly
Head of Communications and Digital
Robyn is an experienced communications professional who drives change and innovation in social-purpose organisations.
Since joining the Centre in June 2022 she has spearheaded the organisational strategy refresh, delivered the Centre’s first Impact Report FYE 2022-23, and evolved the organisation’s brand identity.
She has previously worked on strategic comms, social media and copywriting across higher education and performing arts.
Robyn Bignall-Donnelly Blogs
Mhairi Grant
Head of Content and Engagement - Campaign to End Loneliness
Mhairi Grant
Head of Content and Engagement - Campaign to End Loneliness
Mhairi is an engagement and content specialist, working at the intersection of content design, community engagement and strategic programme management.
Mhairi joined the Campaign to End Loneliness in July 2021, leading on content strategy, loneliness training, strategic partnerships, and community engagement.
During her time at the Campaign, she produced three international conferences, developed e-learning modules and loneliness awareness training, and successfully ran an online community on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Richard Crellin
Associate Research and Policy Manager
Richard Crellin
Associate Research and Policy Manager
Richard joined the Centre as an Associate in 2023 to support work focused on children and young people and on wellbeing measurement.
Richard managed the Centre’s rapid review of the Life Satisfaction measure which brought together intervention and observational studies demonstrating change in life satisfaction. He also supported the centre to provide bespoke support for local authorities working on the youth elements of their suicide and self harm strategies.
Richard Crellin Blogs
- Apr 18, 2024 New findings on what works to improve life satisfaction
- Feb 23, 2023 State of the nation 2022: how are our children doing?
Dr Helen MacIntyre
Head of Evidence - Campaign to End Loneliness
Dr Helen MacIntyre
Head of Evidence - Campaign to End Loneliness
Helen is an experienced social researcher with expertise in social relationships and loneliness.
Helen joined the Campaign to End Loneliness in April 2022, leading on work to build the loneliness evidence base, engaging with academic researchers, practice professionals and policy makers to do so. Key areas of work were tackling loneliness interventions and their evaluation, and the built environment and loneliness.
She also worked with the Campaign team to shape their wider programme of activity.
Michael Kyriakides
Head of Finance