Shaping Portsmouth is pleased to welcome three new Programme Leads to the team. Rachel Dare, Sarra Gravestock, and Stephanie Parker.
Rachel Dare is the new Programme Lead for our Workplace Health & Wellbeing programme.
Rachel is the Director of Training for Cordell Health and has been with the company for two years. Prior to this, she was a senior leader of a large secondary school with 25 years of experience in management and training within education and the commercial sector. As Director of Training, she is responsible for designing and delivering a range of training for managers and employees in both the private and public business sectors.
Rachel works closely with the training team to design and develop courses ranging from mental health awareness and personal resilience to neurodiversity and inset training for staff in education. This includes designing bespoke training packages for clients and working closely with them to ensure training aligns with their company aims and ethos.
Rachel said, “I am thrilled to be working with Shaping Portsmouth, focusing on wellbeing strategy and how we can develop both resources and policy to embed and improve the wellbeing offering within the business sector.”
Sarra Gravestock is the new Programme Lead for our Care Leavers programme.
Sarra was born in Hampshire and lives near Portsmouth. She has worked in and around Portsmouth since shortly after her qualification as a solicitor in 2004. Sarra Gravestock is a director at Biscoes Solicitors, and she heads up the Care and Adoption Department. Sarra specialises in helping families and children when Children’s Services are involved because things for the children need to improve. Sarra routinely attends Court to represent both parents and children, either directly or through their Children’s Guardian, in care proceedings. Sarra also advises on Forced Marriage Protection Orders and Female Genital Mutilation Protection Orders. Sarra’s passion is achieving long-lasting good outcomes for children and families. In 2017 Sarra was shortlisted for the Family Solicitor of the year, and whilst she did not win, she was delighted when in 2018, the Care and Adoption Team, together with the private family team at Biscoes, won the Family Law Firm of the year. In her spare time, Sarra can be found shivering on the side of a football pitch, watching her son get muddy in goal.
Sarra said, “I was honoured to be invited to be the lead for the Care Leavers Programme. Care leavers face an uphill struggle in late teen and early adulthood; the difference in someone paying an interest, taking time to engage and helping them take the first steps on a career path is immeasurable. I am looking forward to working with Shaping Portsmouth, the partners and, most importantly, the young people, to help Portsmouth’s care leavers achieve a better future.”
Stephanie Parker is the new co-lead for our Skills & Employability programme, joining current Programme lead Stef Nienaltowski.
Stephanie has worked for Portsmouth City Council since 2016 in the role of Employment and Skills Strategy Lead. This includes leading on the Skills and Labour Market Strategy 2020-2025, managing the Employment and Skills Plans for major construction developments in the City, running key business events such as the annual Future Portsmouth conference event, as well as working with businesses and skills providers/partners to ensure the City is working collaboratively and effectively to address the skills needs of Portsmouth. Stephanie also manages key DWP projects such as the Kickstart programme and the My Future in Portsmouth Youth Hub programme.
With a background in private sector recruitment and then Further Education apprenticeships, Stephanie has built a career around employment, skills and training. She is passionate about ensuring that everyone has equal access to opportunities in education and training to enable them to live happy and healthy lives. Having completed her BA and MBA degree programmes whilst, in full-time work, she fully believes that learning should be something everyone can enjoy and obtain at all stages of their lives.
Stephanie said, “I have worked closely with the Shaping Portsmouth team on various projects since I joined Portsmouth City Council, so I am really pleased to be able to take this formal role within the team to lend my expertise, ideas and passion. For me, collaboration is everything, and Shaping Portsmouth understands and embodies that in all they do. I am really excited to work with such an engaged and motivated team, doing all we can for the people and businesses within our Great Waterfront City.”
Samantha McGrath, Director of Operations and Marketing at Shaping Portsmouth, said “We feel very honoured to be working with Rachel, Sarra and Stephanie, all three women are experts in their field. By utilising our partnerships with Cordell Health, Biscoes Solicitors and Portsmouth City Council, we will together, achieve greater success as we are stronger together when we collaborate. I am looking forward to working with these individuals and their teams and learning from their real-life experiences.”
