Sheleagh has over thirty years’ experience of working in the third sector – in both a paid and voluntary capacity – beginning in 1983. During the 1980s, she managed a housing project in inner City Cardiff and became interested in Community Development through her involvement with the Riverside Renewal Programme.
She spent seven years working for the Council for Voluntary Services in Cardiff supporting the voluntary sector with guidance on Fundraising and Business Development.
In 2001 she was the voluntary sector pathway leader on the BA in Community Studies at the Newport, University of South Wales.
Before joining Richard Newton Consulting (RNC) in 2019, Sheleagh worked as Development Officer and Project Manager at Safer Wales Regional Fundraising Officer with Fairbridge De Cymru and Fundraising Officer with Care & Repair Cymru
As a Facilitator for the British Council Active Citizens programme, Sheleagh has worked in Active Citizen Exchange Programmes with Sudan, Kenya, Armenia and Pakistan. Between 2012-2016, she worked with the Sudanese community to create a community link between South Riverside and the Al Fat’h Active Citizens project in Sudan.
Sheleagh has experience in Trust, Corporate and Community Fundraising, Income Generation, Governance, Business Planning, Fundraising Strategies, Project Development, Project Management and Community Development.
Sheleagh has raised over £10 million for the voluntary sector over the course of her career.
Memberships
Member of the Institute of Fundraising
Chairperson of the South Riverside Community Development Centre
Fellow of the Schumacher Institute
Education
BA (Hons) 2(1) Communication Studies from the Polytechnic of Wales
Post Graduate Diploma in Housing
Adult and Further Education Teaching Certificate
Institute of Chartered Fundraisers Certificate in Fundraising
Facilitator for the British Council Active Citizens programme
Out of Office
Sheleagh has lived in South Riverside in Cardiff for over 30 years. She has three grown-up sons and has always taken an active role in local community life.
Sheleagh’s claim to fame is that she is mentioned in Hansard for calling a Cardiff folk musician to sing to the Parliamentary Select Committee hearing evidence against the Cardiff Bay Barrage. During the 1990s she won a Candis Community Champion Award.
As Chairperson of the South Riverside Community Development Centre, she supports the staff team to develop local services, including two anti-poverty projects, a food pantry and a Greening Riverside project.
Sheleagh has been learning Welsh during Lockdown. She is in a community choir, plays the accordion and is an enthusiastic year-round wild swimmer.