The people guiding
our next chapter.

Paula is a Manchester-born leader, governor, mentor and advocate with extensive expertise in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), Equality, Inclusion and Diversity. She brings a strong strategic focus on advancing equity, widening opportunity and creating inclusive environments where individuals and communities can thrive.

As Chair of the WLL Alumni Network, Paula is committed to developing excellent global majority leaders across Greater Manchester, strengthening leadership pipelines and creating opportunities for emerging talent. She also serves as a school governor and youth mentor, supporting educational outcomes and empowering young people to realise their potential.

As an ambassador for race equity and inclusion, Paula combines strategic leadership with a deep commitment to meaningful, sustainable change.

Otis Thomas is a seasoned professional with a diverse and impactful career spanning various sectors across the UK, USA, and Africa. Currently serving as the Managing Director of T.A.P. Project, he is a passionate father, a dedicated entrepreneur, and a forward-thinking visionary deeply rooted in African culture and progress.

With an impressive portfolio of roles, Otis has demonstrated his commitment to creating positive change. He not only holds multiple positions in various organisations but also actively contributes to community development as a trustee on four different boards. Otis believes in the power of a quantum approach to problem-solving, recognising that small actions can have a monumental impact on our communities.

As a socially conscious entrepreneur with a focus on Africa, Otis has strategically invested in several countries across the continent, including Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, and more. His dedication to the African cause extends beyond business ventures, as he actively seeks to uplift and empower communities through his work.

Otis Thomas has recently completed a Masters in Management Practice at the prestigious University of Manchester, complementing his impressive 18-year career in Project Management. Additionally, he is a qualified mentor, providing guidance and support to emerging professionals and entrepreneurs. He serves as the Head of Caribbean Region for Adanian Labs, where he drives innovation and entrepreneurial growth across the Caribbean. Furthermore, Otis holds the position of President of the Minerals Committee for Sable Assent, where he oversees initiatives related to mineral wealth and investment opportunities.

As one of the Directors at T.A.P. Project, he spearheads business development efforts, tirelessly generating new opportunities and revenue streams for the company. Otis also takes the lead in orchestrating and ensuring the successful delivery of critical projects.

In his role at T.A.P. Project, Otis envisions a future where the organisation plays a pivotal role in our communities, creating numerous business opportunities for both the next generation of young entrepreneurs and the existing businesses. This vision is realised through a three-pronged approach: raising awareness, promoting growth, and providing invaluable guidance to ensure sustainable success.

Otis Thomas embodies a unique blend of entrepreneurship, community engagement, and a profound connection to Africa. His dedication to effecting positive change is evident through his diverse roles and his unwavering commitment to making a lasting impact on the world.

Sarah Fayette’s career is driven by a singular purpose: dismantling traditional power imbalances to drive genuine systems change through community-led leadership. Following a decade as a primary school educator specialising in Special Educational Needs and Disability, navigating intense pandemic-era challenges compelled her to look at the bigger picture. Her transition into the VCFSE sector allowed her to challenge top-down decision-making and build co-designed frameworks, driven by the understanding that empowering families requires shifting institutional frameworks rather than implementing isolated, localised interventions.

As a Participation Manager at Save the Children, Sarah leads strategic, cross-sector operations across Greater Manchester. Her work ensures that families and children—particularly those from migrant and Global Majority backgrounds—actively drive the local and regional policies affecting their lives. By weaving together grassroots organisations, statutory services, and local hubs, she systematically embeds lived experience into the heart of anti-poverty strategies.

Sarah believes systemic transformation happens entirely by design. She focuses on creating accessible spaces, centring diversity, and equally valuing both lived and learned experience to develop overlooked individuals into confident civic leaders. A core pillar of her work is cultivating a new generation of community leaders, equipping them with the tools to master co-production and actively drive long-term systems change.

Her expertise spans policy influence, scalable co-production frameworks, grassroots infrastructure (such as the Parent Carer Panel, Parent Champion Group, and 'The Circle' women-led collective), and high-impact partnerships with global corporate funders and foundations, including the LEGO Foundation and Bulgari.

Sarah actively advises and partners with sector professionals to collaborate on co-production methodologies, equity-focused policy, and collaborative systems change.

Over 4 decades of experience working in community and public sector in a range of settings as a paid employee and as a volunteer providing capacity building support. The ‘golden thread’ through all my job roles is I like helping people. This desire to help people particularly those who are vulnerable. My empathy underpins my humanitarian approach which empowers/supports them to increase their confidence in getting their voices heard – and their ability to make better life choices.

2025 Young Gamers & Gamblers Education Trust (Ygam) Community and Faith Leaders Panel Member. Ygam are the UK's leading charity dedicated to preventing gaming and gambling harms among young people. Our work bridges the critical knowledge gap between young people's digital lives and the adults who guide them. We believe in harm prevention through education, empowering the people who can make a real difference.

2025 Greater Manchester Civic and Community Leadership Programme Alumni Network Ambassador

2024 graduate of the Greater Manchester Civic and Community Leadership Programme an initiative to address the underrepresentation of people from racially minoritised backgrounds within civic and public life. Became co-chair of Bolton Council’s Race Allies Network acting as a ‘critical friend’ to compliance with the Grater Manchester Race Framework and Equality and Diversity aspirations.

2023 Bolton Council – Community Safety Officer – Hate Crime Lead, Cohesion and Prevent Support I play a leading role in the in the development and implementation of strategy, policy, and service delivery across a range of community safety functions. I contribute to Bolton Council’s into the crime and disorder agenda and provide lead policy support in the development of specific policy areas in line with the partnerships agreed priorities.

I Lead, commission, and manage specific community safety projects, including the development of policy and strategy.

2019 elected Independent Chairperson of Cheshire Constabulary’s Police Accountability Meeting. An independent panel scrutinizing the ‘Use of Force’ by officers carrying out their duties and the application ‘Stop and Search’ powers to ensure this intelligence lead as opposed to it being due to ‘Conscious or Unconscious Bias’s – Challenging ‘Disproportionality’ is a key driver. To August 2025

2016 became a ‘Non-Executive Director of Bespoke Supported Tenancies (BEST) a dedicated charitable Community Benefit Society, specialising in providing homes for people with support needs across England and Wales. (ended November 2025)

2012 after I was successful in my submission; Halton Borough Council chosen as one of the fifteen areas chosen by the Ministry of Justice to pilot the use and effectiveness of ‘Neighbourhood Resolution Panels.’ A mechanism that would enable victims to participate in a conference with the perpetrator based on the fundamental principles of Restorative Justice to repair the harm the incident(s) or behaviour(s) has caused. Experience during and after the pilot phase included in National Guidance Document circa 2015

2008 ASB Victim and Witness Support Service the project I devised and implemented in 2008, visited by the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Victim Commissioner Louise Casey and Victim Champion Sara Payne in 2009: Held as an example of ‘Best Practice. in supporting Victims and Witnesses of Anti-Social Behaviour. (Hansard)

As Fundraising Lead for We Lead for Legacy, Alumni Network, Paula is committed to helping build a strong and sustainable future for the network and its members.

For Paula, fundraising is about much more than securing financial support—it is about creating opportunities, building meaningful partnerships and connecting people who share a belief in inclusive leadership and positive social change.

Working collaboratively with fellow alumni, Paula helps identify funding opportunities, develop strong applications and build relationships with funders, sponsors and community partners. Her aim is to secure the resources needed to turn the network’s ideas into meaningful projects that strengthen communities, amplify underrepresented voices and support future leaders.

With warmth, determination and a clear sense of purpose, Paula encourages alumni members to share their skills, connections and ideas. She believes that, by working together, the network can create lasting impact and ensure that the legacy of the programme continues to grow, inspire and open doors for others.

Olayiwola Iyiola-Jacobs is an education entrepreneur, leadership development practitioner and EdTech founder with more than 15 years’ experience across the UK and Nigeria. His work centres on helping people understand their strengths, develop their capabilities and turn their potential into meaningful contribution.

As Founder of Pathfinder Educational Limited, Olayiwola develops programmes and digital tools supporting employability, language learning and personal development. His experience spans education technology, youth engagement, learning and development, and community-based delivery.

He is the creator of the Trapezium Model and Ginosko Sterizo framework, which explore the relationship between identity, character, competence and impact. Through this work, he supports individuals to gain direction, strengthen their leadership and move from feeling stuck towards purposeful action.

Olayiwola is a Business & Management graduate of the University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham. An alumnus of the GMCA Civic Leadership Programme — We Lead for Legacy — and the Young African Leadership Initiative, he brings a collaborative approach shaped by learning, service and community participation.

As Comms and Marketing Lead for the WLL Alumni Network, he helps amplify members’ voices, communicate the network’s purpose and build accessible digital spaces that support connection and engagement. He is passionate about creating opportunities for Global Majority leaders to grow, share their experience and contribute to lasting change across Greater Manchester.