Nicola Lewis CV

· University Certificate in Regeneration

Wide range of communication, management, organisational and administrative skills.

Extensive experience of developing and co-ordinating methodologies for evaluation projects, research studies and community consultation programmes involving stakeholder interviews, resident walkabouts, neighbourhood workshops and focus groups, neighbourhood drop-ins and community planning events.

Expertise in devising and undertaking a wide variety of focus groups and sessions with rarely heard groups using participatory appraisal techniques.

Experience of setting up and servicing several community sounding boards and advisory groups.

Responsible for SRC's project management monitoring system and all the financial and administrative matters at SRC.

Consett Town Centre Masterplan

Devising and coordinating consultation with residents, businesses, councillors and service providers to gather views on potential improvements and development opportunities and guide future investment in the Town Centre.  Using a range of techniques including interviews, surveys, informal open house events and work with rarely heard groups.

Social Research in North Tyneside

Research into identifying the barriers that exist for long-term workless people and those in traditionally workless households in the Neighbourhood Management area in North Tyneside.  Interviewing a wide range of service and support providers in the public and community sectors and workless people themselves via one to one meetings, telephone interviews and focus groups to understand the barriers, identify gaps in current provision and find solutions that might help this group move into employment.

A Masterplan and Investment Strategy in Tanfield Lea, County Durham

Working in a team led by GVA Grimley, we carried out stakeholder consultation with a range of local businesses, community organisations and others with an interest in the area to inform the development of a masterplan and investment strategy designed to maximise investment and interest in an industrial area close to Stanley, County Durham.

Worklessness Study in Maryport, Cumbria

Working with agencies in a wide range of sectors and workless people themselves on a pilot project in Maryport, an area of West Cumbria with high levels of worklessness and deprivation.  Using interviews, surveys and focus groups we mapped existing services to workless people in Maryport, obtained a clear understanding of the issues they faced and the barriers preventing them from working or accessing services. The aim was to provide a common approach to meeting the needs of workless people in Maryport across a range of service providers who are directly or indirectly serving the needs of workless people.

A Neighbourhood Action Plan for Gresham/Middlehaven

Co-ordinating an extensive community engagement programme developing a Neighbourhood Action Plan for a priority area of Middlesbrough. Servicing a Community Sounding Board and supporting the Council's Local Community team in working closely with residents, agencies and businesses.

A Masterplan for Walker Riverside

Co-ordinating a community engagement programme during a statutory period of consultation across nine neighbourhoods in Newcastle upon Tyne. Working within an        area with a population of 13,000 people, engagement included focus groups with businesses, agencies and residents associations and a variety of community events        as well as an extensive outreach programme.

Burnley Masterplanning

Co-ordinating an extensive community engagement programme to prepare masterplans in two neighbourhoods in Burnley covering about 5600 households. Working with Burnley Council and other consultants, this is a key part of the work of Elevate, the East Lancashire Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder.

Central Middlesbrough Older Housing Study

Co-ordinating a community consultation process across 10,000 households. This included organising and attending resident walkabouts, neighbourhood workshops and drop-ins, servicing a Community Reference Group of residents and meeting agencies and hard to reach groups. This work is a key part of the Tees Valley Housing Market Renewal Initiative which is focused on securing substantial funding to tackle the problem of low demand housing and associated problems.

A Masterplan for Manningham, Bradford

Co-ordinating consultation with residents and local agencies in an area of approximately 4000 homes to inform the development of a masterplan. This involved organising community interviews, and coordinating and attending resident walkabouts and neighbourhood drop-ins.