We're excited to announce a new team member – Tom Carman!
What’s your backstory?
I grew up in St. Albans and graduated with an economics degree just when the financial crisis hit - probably a good thing as it meant I didn’t go and work in ‘the city’, but spent a year working in a food factory and teaching economics! I’ve spent the last decade working on food and land systems in lots of roles including for Sustain, Groundwork, Plunkett Foundation, Ethex, Real Farming Trust and Shared Assets. I also set up a CSA (community supported agriculture) in the middle of all that! It's been a varied career and has given me experience in community development, project management, fundraising and investment and programme development across a variety of sectors and systems including food, farming, woodlands, and parks.
What’s your role at Stir to Action?
I’m Shared Assets' fundraiser - so support the team to resource Stir to Action’s work, and work with partners, funders and sponsors of Stir to Action to help them achieve the most with their money.
What other initiatives are you involved in?
I work at Shared Assets as the Consultancy Coordinator. Shared Assets is a ‘Think and Do’ tank that supports ‘Common Good Land Users’ to improve the land system.
I am also a Director of Cultivate Oxford - a veg box scheme in Oxford which provides a marketplace for local producers to earn a livelihood.
I’m also a Director of Oxford Social Enterprise Partnership (OSEP) - which supports the ecosystem of social enterprises in the city (and wider county) with training, mentoring coaching and development support.
I do do recreational stuff too! I’m a regular gym goer, am learning boxing, do a couple of races every year and have recently joined MANCHOIR in Oxford.
What keeps you up at night?
Usually having not gone to the gym - I like to spend my energy before the end of the day!
