About Us

Solette is the CEO of Voluntary Support North Surrey. She has worked in the third sector for 20 years and has focused her efforts on capacity building charities and voluntary organisations in North Surrey for many years.  Her skills and background in business planning and marketing have contributed to the growth of VSNS.

Alison has been involved in the charity sector for over 20 years and uses this experience to give one to one funding advice and run a variety of training courses. She supports voluntary organisations to find and develop different funding streams specific to their needs and reviews funding applications.

Jo supports voluntary groups and volunteers in Runnymede. She also works with businesses across North Surrey who are looking to build relationships with local charities through volunteering days, skill sharing, seasonal gifting schemes and everything in between. Having spent over 20 years working in the corporate space, Jo enjoys seeing the incredible benefits of businesses, charities and community groups collaborating in meaningful and long-term ways.

Elaine supports both voluntary groups and volunteers in Spelthorne. She also oversees both the Surrey Heath and Runnymede Time to Talk befriending projects, having previously run Time to Talk Surrey Heath. As a former social worker, Elaine has experience of working with vulnerable groups and a passion for empowering people to support others.

Libby is Engagement Manager in Surrey Heath, supporting voluntary groups in the borough as well as signposting individuals into the best volunteering opportunities for them. Through her work in a number of roles Libby has developed a strong presence in the local community.

Jordan is our Communications Manager. He previously led on the Time to Change project which supported voluntary organisations to build up their knowledge, skills, and confidence to become more effective in recruiting and managing young volunteers, aged 19-25.

Jenny supports community groups and charities to promote their opportunities and find suitable volunteers. She has worked for VSNS for over 20 years working with volunteers and organisations and has seen many changes within the sector.

Irina Mushtina is our Marketing Support. She is responsible for developing and implementing our marketing strategy, managing the organisation’s image and identity, overseeing our website, and handling digital promotion. She also provides support to other volunteer organisations with similar marketing challenges. With over 20 years of experience in marketing, Irina offers valuable assistance and expertise.

Ramon is our web designer, supporting charities and community groups with creating and developing their websites. He has experience with WordPress Content Management System. He is available at VSNS on  Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 12.30-15.00.

Oksana came to VSNS as a volunteer to help with translation for refugees arriving from Ukraine when the war started. She now runs our Ukrainian support project. Born and raised in Ukraine, Oksana has a deep understanding of the cultural nuances and specific needs of Ukrainian guests. With fluency in Ukrainian, Russian, and English, Oksana possesses excellent communication skills that enable her to effectively interact with people from diverse backgrounds.

Karen is Befriending Managing for our Surrey Heath Time to Talk Project.  Time to Talk matches volunteer befrienders to people with similar interests, helping people of all ages who have become lonely or socially isolated by offering them companionship and a way to reconnect with their community.

Lina is the STEP Employment Advisor for Voluntary Support and is responsible for working directly with refugees, particularly Ukrainian refugees, to help prepare them for competitive employment and help them achieve their chosen training and employment objectives in partnership with the World Jewish Relief’s STEP programme.

Lakhbir is a Charity Development Manager supporting groups and organisations in the Spelthorne to find appropriate funding streams, as well as helping them to prepare and submit their applications where required. She has many years of organisation and business development in both the voluntary and private sectors and brings valuable experience and expertise to assist local community groups with their fundraising goals and plans.

Clair is Befriending Managing for our Runnymede Time to Talk Project.  Time to Talk matches volunteer befrienders to people with similar interests, helping people of all ages who have become lonely or socially isolated by offering them companionship and a way to reconnect with their community.